Fireproof
by wbm92
Summary: "Get her to a healer,she's losing too much blood!" Draco Malfoy heard a Healer scream. The broken and bloodied witch on the strecher looked familar, but how could it be? Hermione Granger had been missing for 18 months and was presumed dead, but was she? Could Draco save her in more ways than one? Trigger Warning: abuse, mentions of rape, torture, self harm. Image by Usagi Carter
1. Ghost

**Fireproof**

**Disclaimer : Rated M for a reason - Don****'****t read if uncomfortable or under age**

**All characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling NOT me.**

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**Ch. 1: Ghost**

October 25, 2001

"Get her to a healer, she's losing too much blood!" Draco Malfoy heard someone scream down the hallway. Pushing quickly away from the break room table, the 21 year old wizard threw his leftover coffee in the trashcan and dashed from the room.

"I'm a healer!" he yelled, rushing over to the commotion. Two trainee healers stood on either side of a stretcher holding a petite, bruised, emaciated figure. The only discernible feature Draco could take in at first sight was the wild curls sopped with blood framing he young witch's face.

The trainee wizards caught sight of Draco and sighed with relief. "Healer Malfoy, thank Merlin. The patient is a young witch, early twenties, bleeding from the forehead. She has deep cuts all over her body, and is most likely suffering from internal bleeding. An elderly witch found her running wildly down the street before she passed out, most likely from blood loss. No identification."

Draco nodded as he continued assessing the damage for himself.

He regarded the victim again as they rushed her to a room, those curls were all too familiar. It couldn't be her? The witch that haunted his dreams almost as much as they haunted one of his best friend's. She'd been missing for a year and a half, presumed dead, but that hadn't stopped Harry Potter from searching any time he got a lead.

If so, she could be in danger. He had to be sure, though. Draco stopped in his tracks as they entered a private room and looked at the trainees " Leave, now. Don't tell anyone about this and don't ask me questions. " Draco's voice was deadly. Although a 'reformed' Death Eater - turned -Healer, the trainees saw a glimpse of what an intimidating wizard their young superior could be, and both trotted away down the hall exchanging puzzled looks.

Draco shut the door behind them and warded the room. He turned back to face the broken witch appeared to have been through immense trauma and even torture. The only sound in the room was her light wheezing, the witch was barely breathing, and Draco was sure, had she been conscious , that each breath was a painful one.

Could it really be her? The witch he'd gradually fallen in love with since his interest was peaked third year at Hogwarts when she'd punched him in the nose. His infatuation ebbed through throughout the war, but came back with a vengeance as he watched helplessly when his aunt tortured her in their drawing room. Continuing to grow, his affections grew substantially over the past year and a half, helping Harry look for her. He'd gotten to know her through Harry's memories and stories of her bravery, kindness and intelligence. Somehow the infamously stubborn witch found a way fully into his heart despite her absence.

Being a prodigy at healing, Draco Malfoy became a top Healer at St. Mungo's in record time. His best friends since the war, Blaise Zabini and Harry Potter (he'd never truly gotten along with the Weasel) thought he worked too long and too hard. To be honest, he needed the work and the exhaustion, it was the only way to keep _her _ out of his mind and his nightmares. All of these thoughts were running through his mind as he ran his wand diagnostics over the frail body. The face was too bruised for him to accurately identify exactly who it was, and Draco noticed her magical core was weakened as well.

Her injuries were not brought on by accident, this the blonde wizard was sure of. Draco thanked Merlin for his skill in healing, for he should have needed two additional Healers to get the unidentified witch stabilized. Draco transfigured the ripped rags she wore into a hospital gown. When he finally got a look at her torso, he was immediately nauseous; multiple ribs were broken, and there was a scar right below her belly button, a scar that read "M I N E". Draco made a mental note to get this poor witch the strongest healing salve he could brew for whatever sick bastard had marked her. It took him a few hours to stop her internal bleeding and get enough blood replenishing potion into her body.

Upon seeing the scar on her torso again, a thought suddenly hit Draco, one he was almost excited about but extremely anxious. The young witch's face was still bruised , although Draco had washed the blood off of most of the places he found. The healer didn't want to jump to conclusions about who this was, but he knew deep down it was who he thought it was. Now he knew of one scar that would positively identify this broken witch on the bed before him.

Slowly he moved to the witches left arm, _I can__'__t believe I did not check this right away_, and turned it over. He'd left this arm untouched except to start healing the deep, raw cuts on her wrists from apparently being bound, and since her right arm had obviously been broken, he'd spent more time inspecting it. Draco drew in a sharp breath, there on her forearm, as apparent as the first time he saw it in his drawing room, was the scar "mudblood".

"Hermione." Draco whispered more to himself. Then he immediately ran to the basin in the corner of the room and emptied his stomach. With confirmation that it was the witch he loved, that resided broken and beaten in the hospital bed, he couldn't help but vomit at the evidence of what'd been done to her. His diagnostic spells had previously revealed evidence of sexual assault and rape, and Draco believed it by the evidence of bruising all around her thighs and pelvis. The girl must've had fight in her to last so long without giving up under such evident pain and torture, she was resilient and brave. Fireproof.

As he listened to her heart beat through the beeping on her heart monitor machine, Draco threw up one more time then magicked away the evidence of his unprofessionalism. He had to act. Now. Hermione Granger, missing witch for the past year and a half, had shown up, running down the street, before she collapsed. Thank Merlin, the right people found and brought her here.

Draco studied the bruised Hermione on the bed, the Healer side of himself had taken over when he was stabilizing the witch, but now that he took a step back and really looked, he didn't know how he didn't recognize her immediately. Her delicate features, though black and blue (bruisess which were already beginning to heal, albeit slowly) were as beautiful as ever. He found himself moving a lock of hair behind her ear, wishing she would open those big brown eyes for him, and smile like he had seen her do through Harry's memories countless times.

_Harry._ He needed to get him here right away. Draco felt another rush of appreciation that he was alone and the patient private. He and Harry needed a plan and to get Hermione to private quarters to figure out where their witch had been for 18 months.

It was time to wake Hermione up.

"_Rennervate_", Draco murmered with his wand pointed at the petite witch in front of him. Slowly, those beautiful big eyes fluttered open, they were the color of chocolate. Draco studied her cautiously as he watch her eyes go from bleary, to confused, to panicked. She immediately sat up and winced in pain as she tried to look at her surroundings. When her gaze finally chanced upon Draco, she visibly recoiled.

Draco realized she would not be near as happy to see him as he would be to see her, and as much as it hurt him, he tried to rectify their current situation.

"Hermione?" Draco took the fear in her eyes at being found out as confirmation that this was in fact Hermione Granger.

"Hermione. I know its you, you have no reason to be 're in St. Mungo's and I'm a Healer. You are hurt pretty severely. Can you tell me what happened to you?" Draco spoke in his most soothing voice and approached her slowly like one would approach a wild animal.

Hermione just stared at him and then began assessing her injuries, grimacing as she saw the scar on her abdomen that taunted her daily.

"Hermione. Can you speak? " Draco tried again and then decided to send Harry a Patronus, telling him he was needed. Maybe he could get her to talk. He sent his silvery wolf off to alert Harry of an emergency at the hospital that needed his attention.

Hermione's head jerked up at the sight of his patrons. "Where is that going, Malofy" her voiced croaked. The bruising around her neck, he assumed was from some sort of previous strangulation that must've bruised her vocal cords.

Draco looked back at her, " She speaks! Well Granger, its going to get Harry since surely you will talk to him, since you won't tell me whats happened to you." Draco struggled to keep his voice casual when all he wanted to do was wrap her tenderly in his arms and never let go.

She immediately started trembling, "y-you c-cant get H-Harry. He'll kill him! He'll kill him! No! what've you done, Malfoy!" Hermione was suddenly distraught and Draco moved all the way to her bedside, following his instincts, he took her small body into his arms and tried to calm her down.

"Shh Hermione. You are safe now. Let us help you." Draco cooed. Hermione's head snapped up again and pushed away from Draco.

"You don't understand." She sniffled "I have to leave, now! Harry is in danger as long as I am free." She started trying to get out of bed despite the pain she felt in every part of her body.

Draco jumped up and tried to steady her.

"Granger, sit back down this instant you foolish witch! you are hurt." Draco was perplexed and anxious. She wouldn't/couldn't disappear again. That was for sure. "Whatever has happened, we can help you! Harry is a bloody Auror for god's sake. Who did this to you!" Hermione tried to speak, but an invisible source was stopping her from it.

"He used an unbreakable vow didn't he? The bastard who did this to you made it so that you could never tell anyone who's done this to you" Draco growled. Hermione merely nodded. Just then Harry's stag came through the wall announcing, "On my way, Malfoy. This better be good, I'm in the middle of kicking Ron's arse at wizard chess, finally. We are both coming!" Harry's amused voice came through loud and clear. Malfoy scowled that the Weasel would be accompanying Harry, the damn _trio _would be reunited.

Hermione's heart warmed at finally hearing Harry's voice after all this time, but it set her to panic even more. She had to leave…and now. She noticed the wand she escaped with on her bedside and lunged for it, disillusioning herself before Malfoy's wide eyes, she then muttered a binding curse at Draco, binding him as he fell to the floor.

"NO! " Draco screamed, just as Harry and Ron came through the warded room, he saw a shimmer of disillusionment flutter through the open door. Draco struggled in his bonds, but his vision was obscured by a confused Harry picking him up and a particularly flustered looking Ron. He narrowed his eyes at the red headed wizard, something in his eyes made Draco uneasy.

Harry did the counter curse to Draco's bonds and grabbed him by the shoulders, they were both about the same height at 6'3. "Whoa mate! What the hell is going on, Malfoy?" Harry's voice was deep and commanding.

Draco looked wild-eyed at Harry, " She was here! In that bed! I healed her, and when she woke up, she said she couldn't see you! She disillusioned herself and bound me! She has to still be here let me go!" Draco was shouting now and drawing a crowd outside the door.

Harry was looking at him calculatingly, "Draco Malfoy, _who_ was here, _who _was in that bed?" Ron's face lost all color. Draco stopped looking around frantically and met Harry's bright emerald green eyes, "HERMIONE, YOU BLOODY IDIOT ! NOW LET ME GO!" Harry sprang back as if he was burned, and promptly drew his wand, swearing under his breath.

"Search now, questions later. Malfoy, lock down this hospital. No one gets out until I clear them." Harry bellowed as he sprinted out the door, Ron Weasley on his heels.

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**A/N: HI there! This story is my second ever! (1st is ****"****Stay****" ****and is ongoing****— ****dont worry I am going to write both!) I just couldn't wait to start this one bc it has been tumbling around my brain for some time now. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! REVIEW PLEASE! If you don****'****t like it let me know as well and I will drop the story! This is going to be a darker fic than my other one, so beware! Thanks for reading! **

**A/N 2: I uploaded this morning but needed to change something! I appreciate the review I had this morning though and I am sorry I somehow deleted this story! I only meant to change one little thing :/! Anyway happy reading!**


	2. The Fall

**I own nothing — all belongs to JK Rowling**

**PREVIOUSLY:**

_Harry was looking at him calculatingly, "Draco Malfoy, who was here, who was in that bed?" Ron's face lost all color. Draco stopped looking around frantically and met Harry's bright emerald green eyes, "HERMIONE, YOU BLOODY IDIOT ! NOW LET ME GO!" Harry sprang back as if he was burned, and promptly drew his wand, swearing under his breath. _

"_Search now, questions later. Malfoy, lock down this hospital. No one gets out until I clear them." Harry bellowed as he sprinted out the door, Ron Weasley on his heels. _

**CH. 2: The Fall**

Hermione's breathing was coming in short panicked breaths as she moved quietly away from the private room. She knew she didn't have long to break out of St. Mungo's. Harry &amp; Ron were sure to act now. The injured witch's heart ached at the thought of seeing Harry for the first time in 18 months. She wanted nothing more than to jump into the arms of the only family she had left, but instead she was determined to protect him, and the only way to do that presently was to disappear until she had a better plan.

Her ribs throbbed in pain as she moved slowly down the hall. Hermione tried to cast a strong pain spell on herself, but her magic was still weak. The broken arm was cradled to her chest while the other held her wand out. Hermione shuddered as she thought about the object _he_ continued to use on her to weaken her magic while in captivity, for in the beginning, he knew Hermione's wandless magic had been too powerful and she would've been a lot harder to keep trapped for so long. Being an Auror had its perks, Hermione had mused, he got away with nicking dark artifacts they'd confiscated from Death Eater mansions.

Hermione shook her head to clear the dark path her thoughts were about to go down. _Focus, _she encouraged herself. Hermione slipped into an temporarily empty lab room, closed the door, and disillusioned herself. _perfect. _Though it took a few tries, she was finally able to shrink weeks worth of pain potions and healing salves into the pocket of her hospital gown which she had thrown an extension charm on. _You__'__ve still got it, well some of it, _she thought triumphantly. Casing the room she noticed the back wall held drawers of cadavers, and to her left were tables of lab equipment to aid medical research. Hermione added a few more things to her pocket before she heard an ethereal voice

"St. Mungos is going into lockdown, all Healers must ward your patients' rooms while security locks all the doors, apparition is now blocked coming or going, and the floo networks have been shut." a monotone voice rang out over the intercom. Hermione swore under her breath. Time was ticking, and she had to escape. To bide her time, she disillusioned herself once more, and threw wards up around the empty lab, they were weaker than she'd have liked, but it was time she needed, and those would have to do until her magic was back to full strength. Plus, she had to save it for the stunt she was quickly planning in her mind.

Frantically, Hermione looked around the room for an alternate way out. There were no windows or connecting doors, but then Hermione glanced at the ceiling and a smirk crossed her invisible face. _Bit clich__é__, crawling through air ducts, but it__'__ll do. _Hermione felt like laughing in her panicked and hyper aware state, if only her mum and dad could see her acting like a spy from their muggle movies. She'd have been nervous about the ducts not holding her, but Hermione knew she was severely underweight from the bastard, and started climbing the shelves to dislodge a ceiling tile and hop into the air ducts. Hermione hoped these would be the right ducts to take her to the roof, where the magic the Auror's set around the hospital was weak or nonexistent, she had an escape to plan.

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Harry and Ron moved down to the first level and immediately called for backup. Despite what she must've been through, Harry knew Hermione was still as clever as ever, and if she wanted to escape she would surely find a way. He had to be quicker than her. Ten additional Aurors and trainee Aurors apparated in before the wards went up. Harry shouted out the situation and everyone split up.

Ron's face was contorted in fear and desperation. Harry patted him on the shoulder, trying to comfort his friend who was surely pining for a love he'd thought had been lost for 18 months, " I don't know why she's running, mate, but we'll get her. She'll be safe with us." Ron narrowed his eyes, silently reigning in his temper, and kept his puppy dog eyes present for his best friend. " I know, Harry. She won't get far."

Harry, even more powerful than he's been at the end of the war three years ago, lifted his wand in the air and muttered a charm he'd invented. His magic caressed the hospital, his spell was meant to disable all disillusionment charms in the building, making it almost impossible for Hermione to hide.

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Draco was moving down the hallway, aiding in the search for Hermione Granger. Draco Malfoy, not as brash as the Gryffindors, stopped to think strategy before running blindly around a hospital. He did not fault Harry for acting so fast, the poor chap was fueled by emotion and desperation, but Draco had always been a calculating Slytherin first and foremost, even when it came to the woman he loved.

_Hermione is clever, a war heroine, and able to maneuver her way out if she wanted, but she would be in pain, immense pain._ Draco froze. _The lab. _If he knew Hermione like he thought he did, she would logically stock up on potions and salves, _especially if she was planning on running._

Draco sprinted down the corridor and stopped at the first lab, throwing the door open. Empty. He ran back the way he came, past her room and continued in the opposite direction until he came across the other lab on the floor. As soon as he approached it, he felt the magic warding the door. _Gotcha._ Draco sent a patronus to Harry , "_Come back to 8th floor, lab 8B. I'm going in." _

Holding up his wand, the powerful blonde wizard began disabling the witch's wards, noting they were surprisingly weak for the caliber of magic he knew Hermione could produce. It took him all of about 5 min until he broke through and kicked the door down. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, his calculating mind made multiple deductions. There was a substantial amount of potions and salves missing, no witch present, and a ceiling tile on the floor. _Ceiling tile._

Draco swore as he looked up, the hole in the ceiling taunting him. _Clever witch, the air ducts. _Draco knew he couldn't be that far behind her, maybe about seven minutes, tops? And she was surely moving slowly. He quickly weighed his options before he realized his best choice was to go after her via the air ducts, as he was not quite sure where they led, but had a good idea, one he hoped was wrong.

Leaving a quick floating message for Harry that read, "Air Ducts, Rooftop in 10 if you dont hear from me," Draco hoisted himself up, hoping to Merlin the ducts would hold him, and lead him to Hermione.

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Hermione crawled quietly through the air ducts of St. Mungos. She was pleased her assumption was correct, for they were leading upwards,_ to the roof, _she thought, _this may work out for me. _Each 'step' she took caused her immense pain, she truly was over working herself, her healing arm was taking on some of her body weight, and it throbbed underneath her. _Just a bit longer and I can attend to these wounds. _Despite her pain from recovery, she did note to herself that Malfoy's quick healing handiwork was extraordinary. He'd worked fast and thoroughly, _He was a healer?!,_ but that was a thought a for another time.

Hermione swore under her breath as she felt magic tickling her body, and when she looked down she could see her arms and legs. _Dammit Harry. _Below her crawling body she could hear shouts and movement as the Auror's continued to work their way through the hospital. A clanking sound coming from behind made her stop in her tracks and listen. "Granger!" she heard a deep baritone voice yell, a voice she recognized from her childhood, the war, and the hospital room. Malfoy. He was in the air ducts. _Clever bastard._ Luckily his voice sounded further away, but he could gain on her in seconds.

Whispering a muffling charm to quiet her movement, she set out crawling quicker than before, braving the pain in her ribs and arm. "Granger, its over. I know you're in here. Stop running, let us help you!" Malfoy's voice was ringing from behind, only closer now. Hermione felt tears sting her eyes, but battled through it. She had to get out of there, if Ron Weasley caught her again… Her body trembled violently at the thought, but she kept moving, upwards, to the roof. Hermione hoped her magic was strong enough for what she had planned.

Malfoy's clambering was getting closer, and Hermione noticed a dead end. Thankfully, there was light shining down from above, and the witch realized this was the end of her air duct journey. Quickly she reached the duct where light was shining through, the cool winter air was seeping through the grids, _the roof._ Hermione got on her back, legs in the air, and began kicking, trying to dislodge the grate. One last kick and the grate flew off its hinges, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard a gasp come from far too close. Hermione looked to her right and saw Malfoy, hands and knees at 20 meters away.

"Granger stop! I don't want to hurt you. I know you must be in pain!" Hermione heard Malfoy yelling as she scrambled onto the roof. She quickly took note of her surroundings and tried to apparate, but those words were working on the roof. Clanging alerted her to Malfoy's appearance on the roof, his hair was ruffled, and black grime spots smeared on parts of his pale flawless skin. The setting sun temporarily blinded him, and Hermione made to the edge of the roof while quietly casting a few spells on something in her pocket, including a disillusionment on one item specifically, Harry's magic hadn't reached the roof. Her magic was running low, but she only needed it a bit longer, she needn't disillusion herself, no they needed to see her.

From the opposite side of the roof, a door swung open with Harry and Ron scrambling out of it. Harry looked about the roof and saw Malfoy edging closer to Hermione, and Hermione edging to to the roof. Ron raised his wand but Harry grabbed his wrist, "Don't. She's already hurt. We can talk her down." Ron growled deep in his chest, and his eyes flashed dangerously, but he listened to Harry, not ready to blow his cover.

Hermione saw Harry and Ron coming closer, and she hopped up on the edge of the roof, to the dismay of every wizard there. "Put your wands down, or I'll jump." her voice rang out. Harry's eyes met Hermione's, his family. She could see the hurt in his eyes, and the wonder at seeing her for the first time in 18 months. Hermione's eyes then flitted over to piercing blue and she trembled again, _never again. _Harry and Draco made to move closer to her, she was holding her wand out, balancing precariously on the edge of the roof.

"Harry. I love you and I am so sorry. We'll meet again, one day. You are my only family left and I hate to do this to you. Forgive me." Hermione tearily pleaded. Draco sucked in a breath when he realized her intent, and lunged forward, but it was too late. Hermione stretched her arms out and fell off the roof of St. Mungos, dropping with her arms and legs outstretched, 30 floors to the ground. Harry's anguished cry tore through her heart like fire and poison, but she had to act, _now._

Hermione quickly disillusioned and enlarged the item in her hand successfully, and let it fall to the ground in front of her. Next she tried casting her cushioning charm, but her magic was finally too weak and giving out on her, Hermione swore and braced herself for the worst, perhaps her plan wouldn't work after all. Dying this way would be quick at least. She heard a deep voice boom a cushioning charm and saw a flash of blonde leaning over the ledge, as she fell to the ground.

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Harry fell to the ground yelling, his scream of Hermione's name ripping through the air. Ron grabbed him while Draco ran to the edge, desperately calling out a cushion charm that would hopefully stop the girl of his dreams from a suicide. He could've sworn he saw her doing wand work in the air, but felt it was just a flicker of hope and imagination getting away from him. The sound of the street and Harry's shouts hindered them from hearing the inevitable thud of Hermione's body.

"Harry get it together, we have to go down there. I sent a cushioning charm in hopes it would save her! It just might, but we have to go now!" Draco's urgency brought Harry into focus for a bit longer and they apparated to the first floor, as Healer's and Auror's had permission during the lockdown.

Harry dashed past the security guards and blew the doors off their hinges in order to get to Hermione. Harry, Ron and Draco ran to the side of the building where Hermione jumped from. Draco felt the bile rise in his throat as his eyes landed on a figure splayed out on the ground. He could smell the blood mixed with pavement. Harry ran forward, throwing his arms around Hermione's lifeless body.

Ron stood above watching the scene with lifeless eyes. Draco jumped into Healer mode and surged forward to take a pulse, but found none. He felt his own heart being ripped out as he stared at Hermione Granger's battered and bruised body. He sent the strongest cushioning charm he'd been capable of, but it didn't save her.

"Hermione! How could you!? I could have helped you!" Harry was shouting at her lifeless form. Draco took a step back from the scene and ran back to the hospital to get backup and a stretcher to take her body out of the street and into the lab. Draco knew his nightmares would consist of Harry's anguished cries, Hermione's cold, unseeing chocolate brown eyes, and Ron's chilling, uneasy presence. He shuddered as Harry's sobs followed him through the alleyway into the hospital.

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Hermione watched, invisible, from around the corner as the Healers took away her body double. The sound of Harry's cries would haunt her for eternity, she knew, but there had been no other way. She needed an out so she could hide and make a plan to free herself from Ron, by taking him down and protecting Harry.

She pulled out a healing salve and rubbed it on the cut she sliced in her arm to cover the fake Hermione in her blood. As soon as she'd seen the cadavers, she morbidly took one for herself, shrinking it into her pocket, an idea forming as she transfigured an old death eater body into an exact replica of her own while still in the lab.

Hermione was intrigued when it came to the look of pain on Draco Malfoy's face, she'd been expecting him to sneer and stand back as the show went down. However, he'd solved her escape plan, probably told Harry to meet them on the roof, and called out the cushioning charm that saved her life. His cushioning charm worked when hers did not, and she felt another sting of guilt as she thought about Malfoy thinking his cushion charm failed. He seemed to be a good friend to Harry, and she appreciated that. However, she dashed those thoughts away for another time.

Wanting nothing more than to comfort Harry and apologize, she instead turned to sneak off down the alleyway, limping as the adrenaline wore off and her pain and heartache set in. Anguished green eyes mixed with desperate silver in her mind, she could still feel their gazes on her like she was on the edge of the roof. Maybe one day Harry would forgive her for this.

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**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! More Draco and Hermione to come, and some background story on what happened to Hermione! YES RON IS THE BAD GUY THIS TIME, that slimy weasel, but no…he really bad in this fic…so theres your warning! Next Chapter : Will Draco figure out Hermione's stunt? Where will Hermione go now?! Find out next time :) LEAVE A REVIEW PLZ! **

**SHOUT OUT TO THESE REVIEWERS:Malibu Baybreeze, ****Twilighternproud****, AliceEnchanted, and ****Kittyinaz****! Kittyinaz, you smart cookie — you knew it was the weasel the whole time! Cheers!**

**Also for those of you reading my other fiction "Stay" - I'll update that this weekend! I just wanted to post another chapter on this story to get the ball rolling! **


	3. Discovery

**All characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling NOT me.**

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**CH. 3: Discovery**

October 29, 2001

Sleeping on the streets wasn't too difficult for a witch, not necessarily comfortable, but doable. Some quick warming charms, cushions charms, and notice-me-nots and she could sleep in an alley without being seen. The first night had been the worst, when her magic had been weak and she had to brave the conditions.

Despite the fact she was on the streets of Muggle London, Hermione changed her appearance to not be noticed. Her hair was glamoured into a short pixie cut of dark brown, almost black hair (she couldn't bring herself to actually chop off her long hair), her nose was a bit bigger, face longer and freckles gone. She made her skin a few shades tanner as well to hopefully hide some of her bruises better. Unfortunately, she couldn't hide her malnutrition. The witch's immediate plan was first to get a job and access her Muggle savings account, but Hermione decided to lay low for a few days before she moved around.

It was now Friday, three days since she'd faked her death, and her magic was manifesting again quickly, Hermione hoped it would come back as strong as it once was.. She was pleased the dark object didn't permanently affect her magic, or so it seemed so far.

Hermione continued to heal herself and keep clean as well as she could with her healing potions and cleansing charms. She'd moved around frequently in Muggle London, breathing in the fresh air for the first time in 18 months. Besides her charms early in the morning, and late at night for bed, she refrained from using her magic in case it could be traced.

Confident no one would recognize her, she walked up and down the streets, relishing in the hustle and bustle of real life. On this day, Hermione finally came across a small bookshop named, "The Dusty Shelf". Tears of joy threatened to spill from her eyes, she hadn't felt a hard leather spine in her hand, or the distinct smell of an old book since her captivity. She walked through the rows of books, lightly dragging her fingers across the spines.

Hermione picked up _The Final Problem _by Arthur Conan Doyle, she had always loved Sherlock stories as a young girl, and felt like reminiscing for a while. The witch glanced around and found a large comfy chair in a corner near a reading lamp. The pitter patter of rain on the window sill alerted her to the fact that it was drizzling outside the seemingly empty bookshop, so Hermione snuggled deeper into the chair and began reading about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson throughout London.

Comforted by an old book, a comfy chair, and the sound of gentle rain, Hermione soon dozed off in the corner of the little bookstore.

"_No, No, No. Please No! You don't have to do that! Give them away or something, I promise I won't try to read them again." Hermione whimpered, dreading the promising glint in the redhead's bright blue eyes. _

_Hermione watched in horror at the flame emitting from Ron's wand, right over a pile of every book from her bookshelf. It was a month into her captivity, Ron kept her in an undetectable basement in the cottage they bought together a year after the war. Hermione had thought taking their relationship to the next level would compensate for the uncertainty she felt about their compatibility, and so they'd bought the cabin together a year after the war._

_Ron had left the basement unlocked while he went to the store, and Hermione snuck out to her library. She knew she couldn't get out of the house, she didn't have time before Ron would be back, but she could at least get herself a book. On wobbly, unused legs, she hurried to her library, falling at least three times in the process. _

_The pop of apparition came with conflicting feelings of hope and dread. If it were Ron, she was in for it. But maybe, just maybe it would be Harry this time. The heavy tread alerted her it was the former, and she grabbed a book and ran for the basement. She reached the door when pain shot through her scalp as large hand pulled on her tresses. _

"_What. the. fuck. are you doing, bitch?" Ron growled in her ear. Hermione whimpered in pain, she was took weak to show the fight she had a month ago. _

"_Ron, I-I'm so bored, please I just wanted a book." Hermione pleaded trying to get him see reason. _

_Ron pushed her off him and threw her down the stairs. She was gasping and holding her sides by the time she hit the ground, sure she'd broken a rib. _

_Ron came back, floating her bookshelf down to the basement. He cast an "Impedimenta" and shards of wood and books went flying. _

"_Of course the know it all wants her books. You're smart little mouth is what got you into this mess in the first place. No use to me to let you fuel that ridiculous brain of yours. You think learning and being the best could compensate in the Wizarding World to hide the fact that you're just an ugly scrawny Mudblood." Ron's calm demeanor immediately gave way to his rage. _

"_SOMEONE COULD HAVE SEEN YOU OUT THERE. DO YOU WANT TO GET AWAY FROM ME, BABY?" Ron was basically spitting at Hermione who was clutching her middle with one hand and protecting her face with the other. _

"_We just wont give you any more temptation to sneak out of this cozy room, I've set up for you. More than any Mudblood like you deserves, Hermione." Ron stated sickly sweet as he flicked all of her books into a pile and conjured a bottle of gasoline. _

"_Ron, Ron. Please! Just leave them here! I'm sorry!" Hermione wheezed. The smell of gasoline, and her fall down the stairs was making her dizzy. _

_Ron glanced at her, a wild grin on his face as he held _**Hogwarts: A History**_, in his hands and drenched its pages in the lighter fluid. He relished the tears running down the former bookworm's face. _

_Ron lit the pile of books with his wand and Hermione let out a sob from the corner, getting the wizards attention. He walked over to her, forcing her chin up to watch as fire licked the books, destroying them page by precious page. Pulling her up into his grasp, he held her tightly to his chest, his arms wrapped around her stomach. _

"_Watch them burn, the Gyrffindor Princess' books are all gone now." Ron whispered in her ear as tears fell to the floor. He flicked his wand at the pile and the fire and ash disappeared. Ron turned her in his grasp to face him. _

"_If you're so bored, all you had to do was say so, baby." Ron's eyes darkened with lust and Hermione immediately started trembling trying to move away. She would always resist him when it came __**that**__, even though she was sure her resistance only enraged him more._

_Ron gripped her tighter and threw her on the bed in the corner of the basement. Hermione made to get up, but Ron jumped on her, restraining her arms as her feet flailed wildly. The large wizard pushed his rough, chapped lips against Hermione's pleading one's. _

"_Please, No! no! Not again! Stop!"…._

Hermione awoke to someone shaking her shoulders slightly, and jumped up, immediately in a defensive position. A pair of green eyes were looking at her concernedly, Hermione gasped at first thinking it could possibly be Harry, but upon clearing her head more thoroughly, she realized the eyes were a paler green.

These eyes belonged to an older woman in her mid 60s who was now patting Hermione on the shoulder, "Sorry to wake you, dear. But you were whimpering in your sleep, you sounded like you were in pain."

Hermione's eyes widened and she made to stand up and leave the bookshop as quickly as possible. The older lady was having none of it. "No dear, you sit down. Can i get you a cuppa?" this woman noticed the bruises around the young girl's wrists and her skittish behavior. She was also much too skinny. Something was wrong where this girl was concerned.

"Thank you Mrs…" Hermione began, too tired and warm to object, she had relaxed upon noticing the store was still empty and she'd not drawn unwanted attention except from this older muggle.

"Call me Mavis, Mavis Morrington. I own this little shop with my husband Melvin, however Melvin is at a rare books conference in Budapest this week." Mavis said wistfully.

Hermione smiled, feeling safe and happy in Mavis' presence.

When Mavis came back with two cups of tea and a plate of biscuits she asked Hermione gently, "Now whats your name, dove?"

Hermione took a sip of her tea, giving her time to think of an alias, "My n-name is Laurie…Laurie Lindsey."

Hermione smiled at the older woman confidently. They chatted, exchanging titles of favorite books crossing all genres. To Hermione's surprise, Mavis had a guilty pleasure of reading cheesy erotica romance novels, Hermione had almost spit out her tea in surprise which sent Mavis into a fit of giggles. Finishing her tea, she stood up and made to leave, sad to leave the first friend she had in her new life, when Mavis tenderly grabbed her arm. Hermione winced at the pain in her ribs she twisted around to meet the woman's eyes.

"I hope you don't think me too forward, Miss. Lindsey, but do you have a…_safe_ place to go?" Mavis asked quietly.

The older woman saw Hermione's hesitation and pressed on, "We have an extra room above the shop. You don't have to go back to whoever gave you those." Hermione tried to tug her long sleeve shirt down over her bruises, avoiding eye contact with Mavis.

"Mrs. Morrington. Its fine really, I couldn't put you and Mr. Morrington out like that. I can take care of myself, honestly." Hermione tried to leave the shop now, worried she'd made too much of an impression on the woman

Before she got to the door, Mavis called, "No questions asked, dear. Stay in the loft and work in the shop. We could use a young dove like you around the shop, and you can make money to get a place of your own. You look like you need a good meal."

Hermione turned around, blinking the tears back. No one had looked at her with that much kindness in so long. It made her heart ache. The thought of a good meal and warm bed was enticing to Hermione, plus a _job._

Hermione walked up to Mavis shyly and smiled, "I'll take you up on your offer, but please when i become a burden, kick me out on my behind." Hermione laughed, "and please, call me, Laurie."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Friday night saw Harry and Draco sharing a night cap at the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow. Draco spent his day off with Harry and Ginny planning the funeral for Hermione Granger. The blonde wizard was there more out of support than to plan, and personal heartache that Harry knew little of since he still imagined his sister with Ron Weasley.

Ron left the funeral planning feigning it hurt too much to bring up old memories of his first love. He left to meet with his girlfriend of nine months, Lavender Brown, a girl everyone found insufferable. Draco had to personally hold Ginny back from sending her brother a bat-bogey curse for leaving Harry to deal without his supposed best friend.

"Finally put baby James down, he was so fussy tonight." Ginny sat down with a sigh between the two men.

Harry smiled softly and rubbed his wife's back, "I can't believe he's almost a year old."

Draco smiled at the couple, wanting a family of his own one day, with a particular _dead_ curly brunette. His smile turned into a grimace as he thought of dating the hoards of girls just our for his money.

Ginny sighed, "Hermione would have loved little James, she was always so good with Teddy."

Draco stood up and got an extra glass for Ginny and filling all three with fire whiskey.

" I just wish I would've had the chance to know her the way you both do" Draco said lowly, spinning is glass between his hands before meeting Harry's bright green eyes.

Ginny mused, "You know, you may have been better for her than my dim-witted brother. Your intelligence rivals hers and…" Ginny cut herself off, feeling uneasy and saddened by talking about what could have been.

Harry's temper flared once again for the night as he slammed his fist on the table, "What was she running from that I couldn't save her?"

"Harry, mate, you can't save everybody, that's not your job," Draco said sincerely

"Yeah, but she was family. My sister. I just…I'm going to find out where she was and what happened to her. Draco I want the results from her autopsy as soon as they are done." Harry gave no room for discussion

"Are you sure that's the wisest thing, Harry? You may want to leave it up to other Auror's who aren't personally involved, and mate, I saw her injuries, or some of them..and I don't think you need to burden yourself with this. It will only take you longer to heal" Draco tried to reason with him.

Ginny waited for Harry's response, knowing the brave and honorable man she married would solve this case for his sister, no matter how much it hurt him.

"This will help me heal, I need closure and retribution. We all do." Harry finished with a swig of his firewhiskey. He held Ginny's hand tightly

"I-I need to know too. She was as much my sister as she was Harry's. Whoever hurt her will pay." Ginny smiled as Draco ran a hand through his hair knowing, full well, what he was getting into.

"Alright, I'll send the autopsy to the Auror office, it should be done soon."

Just then an owl from began tapping on the Potter's window. Harry got up to open it, and the owl flew in, dropping a letter on Draco's lap and flying back out.

The letter was from St. Mungo's, Draco noted. He opened it hurriedly, concerned since it was his night off:

**Healer Malfoy,**

**Autopsy on HG abnormal. Come at once.**

**-Healer A. Vertucci**

Malfoy's pale blonde eyebrow's shot up in surprise. He'd told the healer on the autopsy to keep him posted, but he didn't expect a letter as vague and foreboding as this. Quickly he stood up from the table, and met the inquiring gaze's of Ginny and Harry.

"Sorry Red, Sorry Potter its from work. About Hermione. I must go, right away." Draco started walking to the floo, his heart beating faster, hearing Harry's footsteps behind him.

A hand on his shoulder twirled him around to face the Boy who Lived.

"You'll let us know?" Harry face was curious and anxious. Draco nodded placatingly, eager to get to St. Mungo's. Draco turned and went through the floo, racing up to the autopsy room.

Draco opened the door to the autopsy room coming face to face with the friendly older Italian Healer Vertucci. When he stepped through the door the older Healer warded the room with silencing spells and locked the doors.

Draco sent the man a quizzical look, however, where Hermione was concerned, he appreciated the privacy. Vertucci motioned for Draco to the table that held the body of Hermione Granger For decency, her breasts and private areas were covered by a cloth. Draco fought to maintain a Healer mindset and not let his dark, angry emotions take over.

"So why did you call me here, Vertucci?" Draco asked stiffly

"I wouldn't have, but you are something of a prodigy, and you asked me to consult you in all things regarding Miss. Granger." Vertucci supplied, "Look at his , Malfoy. These reports…they say she's been dead over a month, and that the cause of death was a killing curse, not blood forced trauma." the older healer handed Draco the reports.

Draco pushed his hand through his hair. _what am i looking at here? _Draco set the reports down without saying a word and went to regard Hermione's still form. His eyes raked over her injuries from head to toe and back again, roving over her pale bruised stomach, something caught his eye.

Turning abruptly to face the older healer Draco snapped, "Did you remove the scars on her stomach, Vertucci?"

Healer Vertucci looked confused, "No I merely ran the diagnostics and cleaned off the blood. I did not remove any scars, Healer Malfoy."

Draco looked again to make sure his eyes didn't deceive him, "There was not a scar on her stomach with the word 'MINE' crudely carved ?" Draco's hope was mounting, _clever witch._

"No-No, How horrendous. I would remember something like that." The older healer stammered,

"indeed, one would" Draco muttered.

_Been dead a month, no scar…I thought all this time my cushioning charm would've been enough to save her…maybe it was. Dead a month…from the killing curse…much like a body we examined last month…_

"Vertucci, i need you to make a wizard's oath that won't speak to anyone about what is happening in here." when the healer nodded, Draco approached Hermione's still form.

"_Finite Incantatum" _Draco murmured running his wand over the body.

Immediately the features of Hermione Granger began disappearing, giving way to the Death Eater Corpse they'd taken in last month. The Dark Mark was a stark contrast to where Hermione's pale broken arm had been.

Despite his suspicions, Draco couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"She's alive." he whispered in awe.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0

**A/N: Another chapter done! I hope you liked it. Offering a little glimpse into Hermione's captivity — more to come! Your reviews were amazing this time! I am so happy with all the new followers and favorites! Will Draco tell Harry his findings? Yes Ron has been dating Lavender while he had Hermione trapped! WILL HERMIONE BE FOUND? (yes duh eventually)**

**Thanks to these reviewers: Alice Enchanted, sierraemille, Malibu Baybreeze, dracosgirl007, Zenia Rose, Chester99- you always give a great in-depth review, .3, huntergirl29, tjw242 (glad you like my bad Ron ;) ), Lover of Emotions, Kittyinaz (yes she pulled a Sherlock! I binged watched whole series this christmas and am obsessed now so…had to pay a little tribute!) , Sora Loves Rain (All of your questions will be answered in time. I PROMISE), theBrideofRemus, and the 2 Guest reviewers. Every review was so much fun to read! Please keep them coming guys! It's my motivation!**


	4. The Funeral

All characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling NOT me.

Previously:

Immediately the features of Hermione Granger began disappearing, giving way to the Death Eater Corpse they'd taken in last month. The Dark Mark was a stark contrast to where Hermione's pale broken arm had been.

Despite his suspicions, Draco couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"She's alive." he whispered in awe

**Ch. 4: the Funeral**

_November 5, 2001 One week later _

Draco Malfoy waited patiently as his third espresso of the day brewed in the hospital breakroom. Every day since he'd discovered Hermione Granger was not the body lying on the lab table, he and Harry had spent every free moment searching for their witch. For Draco that meant a shift at the hospital, be it day or night, and then a shift with Harry. Needless to say, his bed was being severely neglected.

Sitting down at a table, Draco closed his eyes and leaned back, thinking over the lack of process they'd made in tracking the elusive Gryffindor down. It was starting to weigh on Harry, especially since he had no one to talk to about their mission, except for Draco. The blonde wizard felt guilty about that, but he'd made the decision and followed his instincts.

_Harry was standing in the lab looking down at the Death Eater body that should have been Hermione Granger's. He looked from Draco to the body a multitude of times before he growled, "This better not be some sick joke Malfoy, making me take an Unbreakable Vow, just to look at this…? " _

_Harry was in Malfoy's face, the two wizards being relatively the same height, green eyes clashed with silver. _

"_Use legilimency then, Potter. Why would I lie about this? I made the Unbreakable because Hermione is obviously in danger. She is running from something, mate, something she thought not even you, oh great and magnificent Chosen One, could help her with. I think we should use her death as a coverup, but her escape can't spread to anyone, or she may disappear altogether, or put her in even more danger. We can look without her knowing, get a head start. I don't know what it is, but I know she hasn't left London." Draco finished his long winded speech and studied Harry._

"_You're going to use legilimency anyway aren't you?" Draco inquired._

"_Yeah, sorry mate." was all Draco heard before he felt Harry prodding through his memories._

_An exhausted Malfoy finally managed to calm Harry down after a full hour once the Boy-Who-Lived-with-a-Temper went through his wide range of emotions. _

"_We have to tell Ron and Ginny!" Harry yelled at Draco._

"_No, Potter." Draco never liked Ron, he swore it wasn't jealousy, but the way Ron had moved on to the idiot, Lavender Brown, after Hermione had been missing a mere nine months left a bitter taste in his mouth. _

_He sighed again, "I know Ginny has a right to know" he pretended to forget about Ron, Harry knew they would never get along, " but the less people that know the better. You physically can't tell her now because of the Unbreakable. Anyways, knowing Hermione is alive could put your wife and son in danger, for whoever is after Hermione is obviously a sick bastard, and someone like that probably wouldn't bat an eye at torturing your family for information." Draco hated being so frank with the auror, but he had to see reason. It could only be them, and the lab tech he'd sworn as well._

_Harry sighed and slumped back into his seat, "Alright. Let's find her."_

"Malfoy? Ready to go?" the sound of his name jerked the wizard from his thoughts. Twisting around in his seat to face the door, he saw Blaise Zabini, his best friend, standing at the threshold.

"Oh, hey Blaise. Sorry was just resting my eyes a bit." Blaise looked at his friend calculatingly. Draco had the tendency to work too much, he assumed it was to make up for his past or forget the nightmares that he knew haunted his friend. However, today he looked even more overworked than usual.

"Draco, are you sleeping at all? I know losing Granger must be hard on you, after all these years, never getting the chance you deserve to be happy, but you've got to take care of yourself, mate." The two friends rarely spoke this seriously to one another, despite their long and loyal friendship, but Blaise knew how his friend had felt about the Gryffindor.

"I know, Blaise. Thanks. Let's just get through today, and be there for the people who actually knew her and had the blessing to be loved by her." Draco moved to his locker and took his funeral robes out to change in to.

Despite his exhaustion, he looked every bit the aristocratic wizard he was. His robes were immaculate, and he schooled his features into a stony mask that only those who knew him well could see past.

Draco held out the gold coin Potter had charmed into a portkey, and both he and Blaise held on as they were whisked away to Hermione Granger's funeral.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o

The funeral was coming to an end. It was meant to be a private affair, and wards were set in place to only recognize the those Harry Potter predetermined to be allowed through. Unbeknownst to anyone but Harry and Draco, they were also set to accept Hermione Granger. Draco had an inkling she would show up to her funeral, not for narcissistic reasons, but to check on those she held dear. No muggles were present, for Hermione's parents died mysteriously after the war, the official report stated it was rogue Death Eaters.

Harry and Ron both gave speeches commemorating their fallen friend, but avoided the gory details of her suicide, they spoke of her bravery and perseverance despite the hard hand she'd been dealt in the war and afterwards. Ron choked up halfway through his speech and was escorted off the stage, his face buried into Lavender Browns large chest. Harry ended his speech, " Whatever happened to you 'Mione, I will always search for the culprit. You always have a place in my family, my sister, I would've kept you safe."

Scanning the perimeter constantly, Draco was looking for an unfamiliar face. The funeral was still rather large, the whole Order was present, many friends from Hogwarts and the Ministry. Draco watched as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin paid their respects embracing Harry in a tight hug. Tonks, holding a blue haired Teddy Lupin, was wiping her tears as she hugged Ginny Potter with James attached to her hip. Lavender Brown was in a short black dress, tutting and consoling a teary eyed Ronald Weasley, but mostly enjoying her time in the spotlight. Ginny scowled at her brother, previously voicing that the Brown chit had no place at the front with Hermione's 'family', but Ron refuted, feigning he needed support since his true love was in the ground.

The Weasley Twins, more sombre than Draco and Blaise had ever seen them, came to stand near the Slytherins and greeted them with a nod of their head and a handshake. Ever since Harry and Draco became friends, the old rivals got together their Quidditch teams from school and had some pick up games, the finished product being a cordial friendship outside the games. Draco and Blaise both had investments in the ever expanding joke shop, but they were always wary around the twins, for they loved to prank the former Slytherins.

The funeral took place at the gravesite, however Harry made sure they had a closed casket ceremony. It wasn't hard for Harry to act grievous, for his friend was still as lost as she'd been before. He held Ginny and baby James closer to his side as her tears soaked his funeral robes.

All of a sudden, Harry saw a disturbance in the wards, indicating someone coming through. He frowned, it was a little late to show up to the funeral, and he had accounted for all of the guests there. Harry had the whole graveyard warded, and looked through the list multiple times. The figure hung back in the trees that were littered not far from the graves.

As the ceremony came to a close, Harry craned his neck to get a better look at the figure standing 50 meters away. The figure had dark, almost black hair, it was cut short, but it was definitely a witch. The only witch he knew with hair that short was Tonks, and she was standing near the front. Harry's heart rate increased, _could it really be her_? Kingsley gave the last parting words, and noise from the crowd began to rise. Harry made a beeline straight for Malfoy.

Grabbing Draco by the forearm, Harry tugged him off to the side.

"Ow Potter, what in Salazar's -" Malfoy growled

"Off in the trees, came in about ten minutes ago." Harry panted

Draco swung around just in time to see a petite figure wandering off , "Bloody hell, who else could it be?" he whispered before he took off towards the retreating witch

"Let me go, Harry. People will notice if you run off in the middle of your best friends funeral." Draco said urgently before he took off, walking quickly towards the exit of the graveyard.

Harry agreed but wanted nothing more than to go with, however he made his way back to Ginny who was speaking with Sirius and Remus. "Harry, dear boy, How are you holding up?" Sirius spoke in a reassuring voice.

Two blazing blue eyes watched Draco and Harry's conversation, taking note of the blonde's departure. The eyes narrowed as he saw Malfoy take off towards the gates, looking to see what caused the abrupt meeting. He'd recently noticed Harry working overtime, they both looked exhausted all of the time, _what were those two up to_? Were they on to him? _Of course not, Harry is a bloody trusting fool, he would never think his side-kick and loyal follower Ron Weasley could pull something off so devious, and downright diabolical. Breaking up the Golden trio by ruining the Gryffindor Princess herself. Idiot._

Ron watched Draco move quickly and his eyes followed Malfoy's trajectory, he was following a petite figure, quickly exiting the premises. _An intruder?_ It was a pity he had to stay behind and act the part of mourner over the stupid bint. He had to grin inwardly, she may have escaped, but she knew she would never be free from him, so she ended it. He was upset his plaything was gone, but it had to end sometime. He knew he had gotten somewhat careless with covering it up anyway. Ron made a decision to keep a closer watch on Draco and Harry...but for now he had a part to play as ex boyfriend to the dead mudblood.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hermione didn't notice the strength of the wards accepting her, she assumed they were merely up to keep muggles out. A few days before, the witch found herself breathing a sigh of relief upon finding and reading a Daily Prophet stating her funeral was to take place, forever erasing her name from the Wizarding World. However, a nagging feeling deep within brought her to the service, she needed to make sure her secret hadn't been revealed and that Harry and Ginny were safe and sound.

All she needed was a few minutes to check on and say goodbye from a distance. When the service concluded several minutes later, Hermione decided it was time to depart, she'd been able to see Harry's face, and a bang of guilt and longing struck her. She gasped as she noticed the baby on Ginny's hip. _Baby James._ Hermione knew her disappearance was worth it, their little family would be safe, without Ron constantly threatening to hurt them if she didn't cooperate. Yet, she wanted to ensure their safety forever, Ron needed to be stopped, who says he wouldn't replace her with someone else, not one deserved that, _but how do I stop him? _

Hermione knew needed to leave before she did anything stupid or made her presence known, even though she doubted anyone would recognize her through the altered appearance.

Turning to give one last longing look at her old life, she noticed a shock of white blonde hair heading towards her fairly quickly. Why was Malfoy at her funeral?

Without wasting time to think about it, Hermione tried to apparate out of the graveyard to avoid a confrontation with the wizard who seemed to be moving towards her. A small wave of panic swept through her as she realized she had to clear the wards before she could apparate. Malfoy was getting closer, but not close enough to see her face. Knowing this would draw the attention and suspicions of the blonde wizard, but also not willing to be caught, Hermione took off at a run.

o0oo0o0o0oo0o0o

Draco cursed under his breath as the witch began to sprint. _It has to be her_, Draco thought. He and Harry placed very particular wards around, and he was sure they would show her magic had crossed the barrier. _She's done a good job at disguising herself_ he mused as he ran after the girl, hoping they were far enough from the service to not draw attention

"Stop!" he bellowed as the witch reached the gate. She whipped her head around to face him, and he was confronted with scared, wild brown eyes. _Her_ eyes. The face was all wrong, but he knew it was her. _I can't scare her away yet, we will never find her again. Best not to tell her about the special wards then either. We need her unaware. Let us see how good our Gryffindor Princess can lie._

Draco had his wand pointed at the witch, who froze, knowing she was in a bind. "You better not be a reporter" Draco said sternly, grinning inwardly as her eyes widened, obviously trying to think of a lie.

"I-I'm so sorry. Mister…" she stuttered.

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Draco tried to deflate and appear less intimidating, if this really was Hermione Granger, and he was sure it was, it wouldn't do to scare her off.

"And you are?" Draco asked mildly

"Laurie" Hermione replied

"Laurie…" Draco drug out the last part of her name, hoping to be graced with surname.

"Just Laurie" Hermione replied. Draco smirked, she was still stubborn and feisty when it came to their interactions.

"Who are you then, Laurie, and why are you here, and why were you running away? Seems awfully suspicious." Draco walked closer to the witch, switching places with her to stand between Hermione and the wards.

"What are you, the security team, Mister Malfoy?" the feisty witch bit back.

Draco shot 'Laurie' a smile, "You could say that, I'm doing this as a favor to my mate, Harry Potter. He's been hounded by the press enough this past week." Draco's eyebrows drew together as he frowned.

"Oh, a Malfoy caring about someone other than himself? When did pigs start flying?" Hermione bit out, realizing too late, her mistake.

Draco smiled and raised an eyebrow, "You say it like you know me? Have we met, little witch?" he stepped closer and saw Hermione step back at the same time

"N-no we haven't met. I uhm, Hermione used to tell me about you. You see, we were friends. We met when our parents vacationed in France, our house was just down the way from the Granger's in France. We both found out we were muggleborn witches, and we kept up through owl post. She told me you used to bully her, I went to Beauxbaton's you see, but we were friends." Hermione rushed out, cringing internally. This story technically wasn't a lie, for she had a friend of this nature who's name was, Julie, but unfortunately this muggle born witch didn't make it out of the war alive.

Malfoy's smile faltered, "Yeah, well then no wonder you said that. Want to know something though?" Draco leaned closer to the witch, drinking in the look in her eyes.

His witch was nothing, if not curious.

"Hmm?" Hermione gazed into molten silver eyes, eyes that held more emotion than she was used to seeing from this particular wizard. Hermione remembered the first thing shd woke up to in the hospital bed, his silver eyes peering at her from above, the way he tried to hold her in his arms and calm her down. The look on his face when she jumped, she was sure he was the one who sent the cushioning charm that she'd been to weak to produce. Had Malfoy really changed so much?

"Well, you see. I had something of a crush during school on the know-it-all, but was too much of a coward to do anything about it. When we were thrown into war, and I was forced to take the Dark Mark, I knew she would never accept me, especially along with how relentlessly I bullied her. Bullying was the only way I could get her to look at me with her big beautiful brown eyes, I was always jealous of the warmth that radiated through them when she was with people she loved. Seeing her at the Manor, captured by my aunt, was the worst day of my life. That is until the day I saw her jump." Malfoy's eyes were looking off, like he was in trapped in malicious memories. " Harry and I became friends after she went missing, I tried to help him find her, and got to know the witch better through his memories. All I wanted to do was apologize for our past, hoping everyday she would reappear so I could rectify the bad blood between us. The day she came back, she ran before I could tell her how deeply sorry I am for everything. She never deserved any of the pain she endured her whole life. I've been helping Harry try and track down the bastard who hurt her." Draco snapped out of his thoughts, cursing himself for getting carried away, he was likely to do so when it came to his past regrets regarding the girl.

Looking down, he saw Laurie looking at him with wide eyes, and reaching out to place a hand on his arm. He shut his eyes, reveling in the fact that Hermione Granger was willingly touching him.

"I'm sorry, Draco." she whispered.

Draco shook his head, "What can you do, Miss Laurie? Come on! Let's go see Harry! I'm sure him, the Weasel, and the whole Order would love to meet a friend of Hermione Granger!" Draco watched as the witch subconsciously held a hand over her stomach.

His eyes narrowed as she realized she was touching that wretched scar. It must have become some sort of nervous habit she did out of fear.

It wasn't until now that Draco noticed what the girl was wearing; a long sleeved black dress with tights and boots. Almost every inch of skin covered. Draco fought hard to reign in his temper.

"I-I couldn't possibly." she was shaking, "I felt uncomfortable coming anyway, intruding on all of you, that is why I was leaving so soon. I just wanted to say goodbye." she didn't emphasize just who she was saying her goodbyes to.

"I really must be going" she was making her way through the gate, a new sudden urgency developing at the mention of meeting everyone, one Weasley in particular. Laurie's eyes widened considerably as she saw a shock of black hair making his way towards the pair, he was still a good 50 meters away, but she had to leave, now.

Draco saw the change in the witch as soon as he mentioned the group, and then saw her eyes widened as she tried to escape again. He turned around and saw Harry coming towards them, realizing they must have been speaking for a while. He reached out and grabbed Laurie's wrist, flinching as she ripped it away.

"Are you here in town, Laurie? I'm sure Harry would love to speak to you when things die down." Draco said pleading, he really had one last shot.

"I can't really say, I live and work here but like to stay away from the wizarding world since the end of the war." she barely murmured, not noticing what she was saying, as she only had eyes for her best friend coming closer and closer.

"Hey!" Draco heard Harry yell in a friendly voice. This snapped Hermione out of her trance, she sent Draco one last look.

"It was a pleasure to really meet you, Draco." Hermione sent him a small smile before she ran out the gate and apparated. She was cursing herself for getting wrapped up in Malfoy's story and staying so long. It was too close, she wanted nothing more than to 'meet' Harry and feel safe in her brothers embrace. She apparated into the alley near the bookshop and walked up to her flat, getting straight into bed and staring unseeing at the ceiling. Going over all she saw and heard at the funeral.

Draco was cursing as Harry approached.

"Was it her?" Harry asked

"Yeah, mate. I'm pretty sure it was. She's in muggle London. I don't think she realized she told me that, as she was staring at you pretty intently." Draco said, gazing at the place she'd apparated from.

Harry sighed, "Why didn't you grab her?"

Draco snorted, " I didn't want to scare her away, Potter. She is still a capable witch, I could feel her magic radiating from her. Most of it has come back. She doesn't know we know she is alive." he smiled turning to Potter.

"She's going by Laurie. Wouldn't give a last name though, but where is the first place we could find Hermione Granger working in Muggle London?" Draco was grinning as a realization hit him square in the face.

Harry's eyes widened too as he realized what Draco was implying.

"Tomorrow, we search every bookshop in Muggle London." Harry's eyes flashed with determination.

"We're so close to having her back, mate." Draco smiled widely, feeling hope for the first time since Hermione's disappearance. The two friends shared a quick hug, both unable to contain their glee.

Some distance away, two piercing blue eyes watched the exchange with curiosity and annoyance. Harry and Malfoy's friendship was odd, and recently troubling as Ron was pretty sure Draco was helping Harry look for Hermione's captor. He resolved to keep on eye on his friend and the ex Death Eater, he rolled his eyes as he realized he would have to start following them.

Oh well, he'd been rather bored since Hermione escaped, and he needed a new game to play anyway.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: I'm so sorry for this chapter taking so long! My master program just got started back again, so I've been getting used to a new routine! I will try to be better about getting you a new chapter faster! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know how you felt about it!**

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	5. Fish and Chips

All characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling NOT me.

CH. 5: Fish and Chips

_November 9, 2001 Four days later…_

"Oh Laurieeeeee. Come get your lunch, you skinny bird." Peter called entering The Dusty Shelf. Hermione laughed and poked her head out from behind one of the aisles.

"Peter, you know you cannot yell like that in here! What if there were customers? Your grandmother would have hit you upside that large head of yours." she fake scolded, putting an "out to lunch" sign on the door.

"Laurie, Laurie, Laurie. You eat this wonderful meal of fish and chips from The Greasy Den, and let _me_ worry about dear old gran." the tall brunette muggle offered her a goofy grin as they walked back to the break room to eat. Peter Morrington casually slung an arm around his new coworker, the mysterious Laurie Lindsey. He noticed her flinch as his arm settled on her shoulder.

Hermione shot him a look that said, "whatever you say", before moving out of his hold and setting the table for their quaint Friday afternoon lunch.

Peter frowned at the curly haired beauty, she was slowly coming out of her shell. When she started working for his grandmother two weeks ago, Laurie was quiet and timid. She did her job in silence but would grace the people around her with small smiles. He knew his grandmother took her in abruptly, and quickly developed a soft spot for the girl. It didn't take a genius to figure out Laurie came to them wounded, and not only physically.

His grandmother knew she wasn't ready to work at the front yet, interacting with the various customers coming and going, instead Laurie kept inventory and got lost among the aisles of the old bookshop.

"How's the fish and chips, little lady?" Peter asked amiably taking a bite of fish

"Peter, I am two years your senior, I am hardly a little lady to you." Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes at the carefree 19 year old. He was a sweet guy and constantly tried to make her smile without asking too many prying questions.

"Alright then, how are your fish and chips, you old maid?" Peter eyed her seriously before cracking a crooked smile. His hazel eyes twinkled at Laurie, and she couldn't help the warmth welling in her chest at the prospect of a real friendship for the first time in 18 months.

"They are delicious, young man. Thank you so very much for feeding an old broad like me!" Hermione squinted her eyes and hunched over the table imitating an elderly woman.

Peter threw his head of shaggy, sandy brown hair back and laughed before reaching to cover Hermione's hand resting on the table.

"You are quite the actress, Miss Lindsey." Peter's smile lessened as Hermione ripped her hand back on instinct. Her bruises were gone, but the emotional and physical scars remained. Hermione realized her hasty action too late and looked down at her lap, afraid she angered Peter.

"I-I'm s-sorry. You c-can if you want." Hermione's big brown eyes were wide and terrified as she set her hand back out on the table

Peter observed her sudden change perplexed, and realized she was terrified. He may not be the brightest guy in London, but he knew she was frightened, afraid he was mad that she didn't accept his affection.

"Laurie." Peter tried gently, he rarely abandoned his sunny disposition, but he knew this was serious.

"Laurie, look at me." Peter pleaded. Laurie's eyes shot up to meet his, she was trembling.

"Hey, whatever happened before you came to us. It's over. You are safe here. I would never hurt you. You don't have to be scared i'll get mad if you don't want me to hold your hand. I am plenty happy just being your friend right now, I just got carried away." He offered a boyish grin as Hermione's face relaxed slightly.

"Can I be your friend, Laurie? I think you need one, little lady." Peter offered, not moving to touch her again.

Hermione swallowed, "I'm sorry, Peter. You and your grandparents have been nothing short of amazing to me, I didn't mean to freeze like that. I-Its just hard to remember sometimes that I can be myself again." she finished with a small smile before standing up and clearing the plates.

She looked back at Peter and smiled, " And I would love to have a friend like you, young man,"

Peter laughed, "as long as you can keep up, you old maid!"

Hermione went to the sink and washed the dishes when she heard the bell at the front ring. Her face scrunched, people could be so pushy, coming in when the 'Out to lunch' sign was up _clearly_ indicating they would return at 1:00. She looked at her watch 12:55. _Wankers._

She sighed in relief when Peter's footsteps made their way to the front of the shop. She heard muffled voices before walking out the back door to throw the trash out and get some fresh air. She needed a few minutes alone after the small incident with Peter.

"Hey didn't you two see the sign!" Peter called, not unfriendly, but displeased at having to leave Laurie alone with her thoughts again. Coming around the corner, Peter saw two tall blokes waiting casually by the door, their eyes were quickly darting about. They looked to be his age, maybe a couple of years older. One man had black, messy hair, a strange scar on his forehead, and round glasses he kept nervously pushing up the bridge of his nose. The other was a fraction taller than the black haired man, and had white blonde hair and harsh aristocratic features.

The black haired man approached Peter first, "Sorry mate, its just a bit frigid out there and this prat behind me really needs to use the loo. Drank a little too much at lunch." the man grinned, trying to ease Peter's suspicion.

"Oi, can it, Potter. Must be a pretty small business to have to close down during lunch, eh?" The blonde haired man approached, his mood seemed to be darker than the other, and it was. Draco and Harry had been to countless bookshops throughout London the past few days, and both were dangerously low on sleep.

Peter's eyes moved between the two men, "We are short staffed today, the owners took the weekend off." Peter moved behind the counter

The bloke the blonde haired man dubbed 'Potter' looked around the shop once more, "So is it just you then? Or is there someone else working here today?" the question seemed harmless enough. Harry's Auror training honed his people skills, allowing him to embrace the Slytherin inside that was adept at manipulation and half-truths.

Peter, being a relatively trusting muggle decided he wasn't threatened by Potter, but he wasn't yet sure of the blonde.

"Yeah my coworker is in the back. What can I help you boys with? Looking for any book in particular." Peter questioned as he sorted the used books shipment The Dusty Shelf received that morning.

Harry sent Draco a look, they both knew Harry would be better at keeping the muggle busy, seeing as Draco's attitude had been pissy, at best, today. Harry turned back to Peter and smiled, "Well, I am looking for a few things actually. Can you show me to your Classics section?"

"Oh well, if its the Classics you need help with, Laurie is your girl. The bird has read every bloody book in that section, I think." Peter laughed to himself, remembering the time he caught Laurie sitting in the middle of a stack of books she was shelving, caught up in _Pride and Prejudice_. She was terrified to be caught reading instead of working, it took him and his grandma to calm her down. She finally admitted with a blush to have read the book over six times , "Sorry, the books, they just suck me in sometimes, to a comforting place." the confession had been soft and quiet.

Peter missed the look shared between the two men, and glanced up to see the blonde disappearing to the back of the store.

"Hey! You can't go back there!" Peter hollered. Harry immediately went into problem solving mode , "uh, he's just looking for the loo. Remember?" the green eyed man moved to step in front of Peter. Draco had to find Hermione.

"How about you show me the travel section before er Laurie gets out here? I need a book about...er...Iceland." Harry was doing his best to not use magic on the muggle. He could technically get away with it, but was waiting for a sign from Draco. There could be more than one Laurie working in a bookshop in London.

Peter looked visibly agitated, he knew Laurie was in back and would be surprised at someone unfamiliar being back there. "Listen, mate. I need to go check on my coworker." Peter made to move past Potter, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I'm sure she is just fine, but I am really in a hurry and could use your help...Peter." Harry finished, glancing at the boys name tag. His voice was now lower and full of authority. Peter's eyes narrowed at the man's change in demeanor.

" The travel section is over there." Peter pointed to his left, and shoved past Potter to head towards the back, his nerves on edge. Harry was about to pull his wand, Draco needed more time, but an agitated Laurie and smirking Draco walked out from the back.

Harry moved towards Hermione, but Draco shook his head. They were going to take this slow, not let her on to their knowledge yet.

Laurie noticed the agitated look on Peter's face, and moved towards her friend. "Everything alright up here, then?" Her tone was clipped as she looked between the three men. She noted the worry on Peter's face and put her hand on his forearm, remembering his plea of friendship. "I'm okay." she whispered and felt the tension in his stance relax.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the muggle, this bloke was already under her enchanting spell. He couldn't blame the guy, she was smart, kind, and warm, but she was supposed to be his.

"Do you know these guys, Laurie?" the unasked question was clear to her.

"Y-yeah. Sort of. They are friends of a late childhood friend, but I am not quite sure what they are doing here." She stayed next to Peter, despite the urge to hug Harry and never let go.

Draco finally spoke up, "Well, its a coincidence actually. Harry and I were having lunch down the way, and decided to stop in this shop. You see, I need a book on alternative medicine. I'm a hea-doctor and am interested in incorporating mug- I mean other types of healing practices in my office.. Then I just happened to run into Laurie in the back! I told you about Laurie didn't I Harry?" he flashed her a winning smile

Draco was investigating the back room when he saw 'Laurie's' face through the glass outside door. He quickly retreated and pretended to be lost, asking the girl for help only to "realize" it was dear Laurie from the funeral. He wouldn't let Hermione take no for an answer as he insisted she show him back to the front.

Peter's eyes narrowed, "but you said you needed to use the loo and this guy needs a book on-" Harry cut Peter off. "Well, we all need different things don't we? Laurie, is it? Pleased to meet you, Harry Potter." he stuck his hand out

Peter noticed Laurie's hesitation and took the handshake instead, "Names Peter Morrington, my coworker here is Laurie Lindsey. Now let's get your books and get you both on your way."

Hermione groaned at the use of her last name, but was thankful for Peter's perceptiveness. She nodded to the two wizards, completely thrown by their appearance in her shop, and shot off towards the break room.

She heard Harry protest, "I thought you said she would help me navigate the Classics." Peter cursed under his breath, completely aware of the girls discomfort.

"Laurie, can you help Mr. Potter, real quick?"

Laurie nodded, her heart racing too fast to answer vocally. She motioned for Harry to follow her. "What are you looking for then, Mr. Potter." her voice as quiet and she avoided his eyes. She could feel his piercing gaze.

"Please, call me Harry. Draco said you knew Hermione? And you came to the funeral?" Harry questioned instead.

Hermione nodded, "I just wanted to say goodbye." her voice was quiet and she was tempted to reach for her wand.

Harry nodded, "Well I just wanted to buy her favorite muggle book, a memento, if you will. She used to beg me to read more, and I miss her so much, I know books are a way to have a piece of her now that she's gone." Harry studied her demeanor. The witch was trembling slightly as she reached for _Pride and Prejudice._

"Here. This is what she read every summer I knew her." Hermione thrust the book in his hand and dashed down the aisle, desperate to get away. She heard Harry call out to her, but kept moving.

She pushed out into the back alley and climbed the ladder to the rooftop garden Mrs. Morrington kept. Tears were clouding her vision as she fought to control her breathing. The small garden calmed her, sometimes she would magically enhance the plants just to see Mrs. Morrington's eyes shine with pride at her thriving collection.

Hermione watched from above as the pair left the bookshop, _What a strange new friendship._ She wished she could hear their conversation, but knew they were arguing about something. When Malfoy turned and look back to the shop, she dropped down, afraid he would notice her on the roof, the building was only two stories tall anyway.

Hermione heard the back door open and close and what she knew to be Peter's steps climbing the ladder. She quickly stood up, straightened the wrinkles in her blouse, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"They're gone." Peter voiced quietly. Hermione nodded and moved towards Peter to go back in the shop.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Peter asked concerned. Hermione, desperate for a hug from Harry, decided to trust Peter finally. He really came through for her back in the shop. She leaned into his broad chest and felt his arms immediately go around her.

Hermione sighed, "No, they never hurt me. They just knew a friend of mine, who is no longer with us. It was just hard remembering the past, better times."

Peter looked down at the girl with the foggy past, her head buried in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to hold her closer and even kiss and comfort her, but he knew she wasn't ready for that. He saw some of her scars when her shirt rode up or when she would move too quickly, showing skin. So instead, he breathed in her unique scent and put a hand on her neck, playing with the short dark hairs he found there. He figured she cut off a lot of her hair recently, for when she was focused, he noticed she would bite her lip and reach for a strand of hair to curl, only to remember her pixie cut.

He liked her short hair, but could only imagine how alive and vibrant she looked before she'd been broken, long dark hair and bright eyes. Laurie stepped back and looked up at Peter, her eyes still shining with tears. "Come on, lets go back down. Mavis would be upset if we lost any customers!"

Laurie moved off the roof, leaving Peter to watch the enigma walk away from him. He had so many questions, but was pleased she seemed to open up to him today. He was determined to see the light he caught glimpses of remain permanently in her shining caramel eyes.

"I'll keep you safe, Laurie." he murmured to himself before following her back into the store.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Draco and Harry were deep in conversation about their next move on Hermione. They needed to get her alone, without her new found protector Peter. Harry was glad she had a friend looking out for her best interest, but that was his job. It would be perfect if they could find out where she lived.

Heads together and discussing their plans heatedly, neither noticed an irate redhead enter the Three Broomsticks and stalk up to the table. Noticing the muffliato around the table, Ron grew even angrier and slashed it down with his wand, finally making Harry and Malfoy realize his presence.

"Where the bloody hell have you been, Harry?" Ron seethed, Draco leaned back to watch the scene, the Weasel seemed pretty unhinged, more than the usual Weasley temper.

Harry immediately tried to salvage the situation, "Sorry Ron, I was out picking up a few things with Malfoy. Why, what's wrong, mate?"

Ron knew his temper was getting out of the safe range, but he was angry from losing track of the duo earlier in the afternoon. He finally had a chance to follow them, and they apparated before he could figure out their intentions. Ron spent the next five hours searching Diagon Alley and then Muggle London for the pair, coming up empty. Their secrecy was getting to him, they were acting just like Harry and Hermione, secret projects, friendly chats, and the Auror missions Robards would send them on together 'brains and bravery' was their stupid nickname in the department.

Ron's jealousy would flare, just like it did the first time in the tent in the Forest of Dean, the first time he realized he was sick and tired of being the _fucking_ side kick to the "brightest witch of her age" and "the boy who lived". He left them in a fit of rage and anger, especially when _she_ stayed with Harry to help him find more horcrux. The horcrux, the first dark artifact he was really exposed to, showed him the truth of his life, it whispered the unfairness of his situation, youngest Weasley male, pathetic side kick, hand me down everything, and average intelligence. The locket showed him what his life could be, Auror, strong, lover, _powerful_, and _equal_ if not superior to the boy who lived, he just had to stop being weak and playing naive Gryffindor.

His mind already filled with dreams and dark ambition, he returned to the tent. It wouldn't do to separate himself from the easiest avenue he had to success, Harry Potter. The destruction of the horcrux came too late, the temptation whispered by dark magic already crumbled Ron's weak resolve as he began contemplating his future. First he had to steal Hermione's attention from Harry, their friendship was problematic, and always had been for Ron. He refused to be outnumbered anymore, and that was all happening again with Harry and Malfoy.

Surely with Hermione out of the way, there would be nothing stopping Ron from his limelight, sure he already was powerful and famous after the war. His continuing Auror career earned him notoriety as well, a career which gave him access to different avenues to discover power, dark magic and helpful alliances.

"Ron?" Harry questioned

Ron snapped out of his musings and transformed his face from contorted anger to worry and concern.

"Sorry Harry, I didn't mean to get angry. I just couldn't catch-i mean find you after work, and you know ever since losing Hermione, I-I just like to keep family close, you know? I thought I was doing better, but burying my love sort of brought back some of the worry." Ron put his best 'pathetic side kick' face on for Harry.

Harry's eyes widened and his previous annoyance disappeared, "Blimey, I'm sorry Ron. I should've been more considerate. I know this is has all been harder on you than even me. Please accept my apology?"

Draco rolled his eyes and watched the calculating gaze behind Ron's facade. Harry may be good at reading people, but not those he already trusts implicitly. There was much more to the Weasel than he realized and unexplained dread pooled in his stomach. His magic reacted negatively towards the redhaired wizard, it almost seemed to Draco to be tainted, and dark. Magic he had the privilege of rarely being exposed to anymore since the fall of You Know Who. Draco wondered if he was just letting hatred cloud his judgement, but decided to keep a closer eye on the Weasel. _Great, one more thing to worry about._

"Of course, Harry. I shouldn't have worried so much in the first place, I just don't want anymore loss for any of us." Ron frowned before he sat down with the duo, ordering them a round of drinks.

Draco not having enough patience to deal with the Weasel and the uneasiness he suddenly had in his presence, said his goodbyes.

"Later, Potter. I'll send you an owl." Draco then looked to Ron and nodded in his direction before sweeping out the door.

Draco felt like taking a walk in the cool November air. On an impulse, he apparated back to the alley near The Dusty Shelf. It was now about 7 o' clock and Draco stood across the street, hoping to catch a little glance of the witch closing down the shop. To his surprise, only Peter left the shop and locked the door behind him. Then a light above the store flicked on and he saw the feminine figure move around in the room above the shop. _She must be living there. How much do the Muggles know of her situation to offer her a flat._

Draco felt elated at this new development. It took every ounce of self control to not knock on the door and offer her dinner. _Not yet. But soon_. Draco thought as he forced himself to move back down the street and apparate away from the witch he loved.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Soooo hope you enjoyed this chapter! Slowly puzzling the pieces of Ron's insane puzzle together. Yes he is OC, but thats the fun of fanfiction! How did you all like Peter? He's adorable, right? Let me know what you thought of the chapter with an awesome review :)! Also I am overwhelmed (in a good way) by all of the reviews and follows! So thank you to everyone who is interested in this story, you make my heart happy!

Thank you to ALL of the lovely reviewers - you motivate me to type faster!

**Kittyinaz**\- you are right, they do need to be careful! They got lucky this chapter ;)

**Sora Loves Rain** \- they found her first , but what to do now?! Ron won't be put off for long

**Chester99** \- you're right, Harry is very trusting in those he loves (The Weasley's) he's such a gryffindor! And yes Hermione's situation is dire, I guess we will see if legilimency will work!

**hectorsmom- **Thank you!

**huntergirl29**\- may have to collab on some good punishments for the bastard ;) hahah

**artlover8992**\- i don't think she handled them very well just yet, but she will!

**TiffTiffers09- **thank you for all your reviews!

**marianna79 - **Draco is starting to catch on, but its going to be tough because everyone underestimates Ron to begin with. And yes, Blaise is great! I will give you more Blaise in the next chapter!

**Alice Enchanted- **your reviews, as always, are wonderful. I hope you liked this chapter!

**rebelsaurus29- **hope i didn't make you wait too long!

**tjw242- **Thank you so much! I hope you remain excited for this story!

**shaymars- **I know! Hermione needs to accept their help, but she's scared and cannot explicitly say who did this to her. (draco found she was under the vow ch1). but you are right. she needs the help! thank you for all of your reviews - you rock!

**4everanime**\- I am so glad you survived the wait! I'm so for the sad funeral :(. And I am also sorry that I haven't let you know what Ron is planning, but I hope this little insight into Ron's past helps a little!

**Twilighternproud-** hahahah yes, yes he is.

**mUmaRhz- **yes, Ron is the antagonist.

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**ChairmanMeoww- **I hope you are still having good feelings for this story! I wish i could hex Ron too. Thank you!

**DuckiBelle- **Don't kick yourself too hard, can't have that! I am glad you like the story, Thank you!

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**perfectfluke-** I hope i answered some questions you have - however this Ron will remain pretty OOC, but I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading :)


	6. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**All characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling NOT me.**

**Ch.6 Curiosity Killed the Cat**

_3 Days Later November 12, 2001_

Hermione stood at the two graves she was unable to visit in over a year. The headstone read Richard and Maggie Granger, both died on May 30th, 1999, close to one year after the Battle of Hogwarts. Hermione remembered moving in with Ron soon after their death, not only hoping it would fix their relationship, but that he she could lean on him emotionally. The trio spent some of their Auror missions looking for Hermione's parents, but Ron found them first, dead in their Australian home.

"Its me, Hermione." Hermione whispered to their graves. The flowers she enchanted a little over two years earlier, were still blooming on the headstones.

"I think I am finally free. I'm called Laurie now and work at a book shop." she chuckled knowing her father was smiling and shaking his head.

" I know I should get far away, but I have to watch over Harry, Ginny and James to make sure _he _doesn't hurt them. I will find a way to incriminate him, lock him away so he can't hurt anyone else." Hermione sighed, taking a seat on the bench near her parents.

"I've missed you both so much. I can't believe I didn't see through him, and t-that I let him hurt you both. I don't think I can ever forgive myself. I-I'm so, _so_ sorry. I hope you both somehow remember me in death, if there's an afterlife, selfishly, I want to think you were and have been looking out for me. Helping me get free from _him._ I'll visit more from now on." Hermione wiped her tears. Kingsley let them move her parents' bodies back to the cemetery near her childhood home. Not wanting to stay too long, just in case someone else visited the cemetery, she decided it was time to leave.

With one last look, Hermione apparated back to the alley near her apartment, the sun was just starting to rise, so she went to her room to lay down.

Hermione let her mind wander to the day her fragile world came crashing down around her

_February 13th, 2000_

_Hermione returned from her Auror mission a day early. She went to her and Ronald's cottage to shower and decided she wanted to surprise Ron with an early Valentine's Day gift. Their relationship was deteriorating, she spent more and more time with Harry after the death of her parents, he understood what it was like to be orphaned, and offered her emotional support. Ron was great for the first few months, but got sick of Hermione's crying, attempting to cheer her up with shagging. _

_They fought because Ron didn't understand why she was still upset when she had him now, he said he was her new family, since they lived together, not Harry. Ron was immensely jealous of Harry and would fly off in a rage when she would voice that Harry was her brother. "He's not your bloody brother. I am your life now, not him, not Luna, not Ginny. ME and only ME." _

_This particular argument happened right before her mission. That night she returned home late from speaking with Harry after a particularly rough day, her parents' anniversary. Ron grabbed both her wrists and shoved her against the wall, aggressively, as he yelled in her face. He proceeded to roughly snog her, claiming her with bites and hickeys all along her neck. Hermione protested "Ron, stop! What are you doing?" _

_Ron responded by pushing her on the bed, " You are mine, Hermione. You've been such a bad girlfriend lately, always crying into Harry's shirt, I'm sure he's sick of you by now. You owe me this, we haven't shagged in weeks." All this time Ron was undressing Hermione, roughly palming her breasts as she cried out. _

"_Do you love me, Hermione? If I leave you, Harry will side with me. You'll have no one. You're lucky I stay with you, so many witches, more beautiful than you, throw themselves at me constantly, calling me a hero, asking if they can suck my cock. But I come home to you, nothing really special, sure you're clever, I come home to you and let you blubber into a pillow and wake me up with your ridiculous nightmares." Ron sneered. _

_Hermione wanted to believe he was lying, but was so distraught at the chance of losing Harry, her brother, and everyone she loved, that she only nodded. Ron was the only person who could take away her fire, he knew where to hit her hardest , and could make her feel like nothing. Hermione cried after Ron roughly shagged her and then fell immediately asleep . She woke up the next morning, and headed to the Ministry to leave for her mission. _

_Hermione resolved to be a better girlfriend to Ron, to stop her crying. She never told Harry what Ron would say to her, she didn't want to risk a fight. _

_When she got out of the shower, Hermione put on her best lingerie and a long coat. she intended to catch Ron at the end of work, in his office and lure him home for a night of shagging. Hermione flooed to Ron's private office, each member of the Golden Trio had one, and waited for Ron to come in. _

_Hermione sat at his desk, crossing her legs and letting one black high heel dangle from her feet. She thought long about Ron's words while she was gone, and they hurt her deeply. She knew she wasn't the same witch, and a 13 year old Hermione wouldn't stand for a man to speak to her as such, but that 13 year old Hermione didn't feel as alone as this 20 year old Hermione. _

_Hermione decided to straighten up until Ron came in, and knocked a lion statue on its side, only for it to trigger a rather large pensieve to appear out of a cabinet to the left. Curious as always, Hermione moved to investigate and noticed all the little vials of memories. Fingering through the vials, she came across one labeled May 31st, 1999. _

"_That's the day my parents died." Hermione murmured. She'd never seen this memory through Ron's eyes, for he filed the report in detail, not needing to submit his memories, and Hermione was too distraught for the other Aurors to press too hard._

_Against her better judgement, Hermione poured the memory into the pensieve and stuck her face into the cooling solution, immediately transported to the alley outside of her parents' house. She saw Ron arguing with himself, outside the window of the Wilkins'. Hermione walked over to the window and saw her parents, alive, inside watching the telly. The brunette witch felt intuitive dread spread through her veins. _

_Hermione inched closer to Ron to listen to his internal argument._

"_She's yours, not Harry's, not the Granger's. She will restore their memory and have a family again. She won't need you then. She's yours. You deserve her." Ron was muttering as he fingered his wand. Hermione watched as his face set with resolve and he blew open the door to the Wilkin's. The two muggles, resembling Hermione Granger stood up from the couch. Hermione ran after Ron screaming and pulling her own wand, forgetting this was only a memory. _

_Richard Granger, Wendell Wilkins, tried to protect his wife from the lunatic pointing a stick at them. Ron muttered a curse, and the green light shot from his wand, ending the muggle's life. Hermione was crouched next to her father sobbing, before she jumped in front of her mother, Ron approached the duo, he reached for a curl of her mother's hair wrapping it around his index finger and pulling it down. "She's mine." _

_Ron pushed her back, and Hermione tried to absorb the green curse that shot soared towards them, but it merely went through her and killed her mother. _

_Hermione was wrenched out of the Pensieve by an enraged Ronald Weasley. He warded his office upon seeing Hermione in his office in a long coat and high heels, bending over his cabinet. He was immediately hard, seeing her long bare legs, but as he got closer he realized what she was doing and watching. Hermione's face was tear stained and she looked at him horrified. _

" _Let go of me!" Hermione cried drawing her wand, but Ron disarmed her. She flew at him, hitting anything she could. _

"_You're insane. Y-you're a murderer. Why? Why did you do it?!" Hermione screeched. Without waiting for him to answer, she wrenched herself away from Ron and ran to the door. She had to tell Harry. They had to send Ron to Azkaban. The door was locked and Hermione clawed at it. She cried out as Ron gripped her hair in his hand and drug her flailing and screaming back from the door and through the floo. _

"_Hermione, Hermione shh. I did it for us. With your parents back in your life, you would have a family again, you would never have moved in with me. I had to get rid of them, they were a distraction." Hermione stared into the wild blue eyes, seeing him for the first time._

"_Ron, you k-killed my parents!" she shrieked, running for the doors, trying to escape. _

"_If you think I would stay with you after I found out, you are crazy. You belong in Azkaban" she spat. _

"_You wish to leave me then, Hermione?" Ron sneered as he stalked after Hermione. She tried every door, only to find it locked. She was trying to summon her wandless magic, help her to unlock the doors. Hermione began wishing she'd told someone else she returned from her mission, she knew this would not end well. She was trapped with a murderer, in a cottage, disarmed._

"_After all I've done for you? You selfish little mudblood. You are lucky I love you so much, Hermione, or I would've left you to die in Malfoy Manor. But me, a pureblood, took interest in you and saved your life. You're lucky I saved you from the troll in first year, when all you were was an ugly, bucktoothed know-it-all. You think your precious Harry would've saved you? Ha- I convinced him to help you, the outcast and loser." He had her in his hands again and slapped her, throwing her into the wall. _

"_Oh and look, the little mudblood dressed up for me!" A nasty smirk graced his features. Ron ripped her coat off, leaving Hermione in her lacy red lingerie and high heels. Hermione trembled against the wall as his finger traced her jaw and moved down her neck, tracing the cups of her bra. _

_Ron licked his lips, "This is how you should always be, ready to serve me, ready to give your body to me."_

"_Dont. touch. me" Hermione ground out through her teeth. Ron slapped her again, and Hermione's cheek wrenched to the side at the force. Ron pushed his body harder into hers, shoving his knee between her legs, so that she was pinned to the wall, helpless. His hand reached down to the hem of her underwear and Hermione cried out, kicking her legs to try to get away. _

"_Ron, let me go. we can get you help, please!" Hermione begged._

"_Help? For the first time in my life, I don't need the help of you or fucking Harry Potter. I should've killed him too, if I had known my plan to make you dependent on me would fail because of our orphaned boy prick." He spat in her ear, sucking on her lobe, as Hermione struggled. _

"_mmm, you always taste so sweet, baby." He whispered as Hermione cried and struggled. _

"_This will be easy to cover up, you know. I realized on the run, that doing things the way of the light got me nowhere but to a sniveling side kick. No one even questioned about your parents. All i have to do is cry and scream that you never came back from your mission. They will never investigate me, Ronald Weasley, doting and loving boyfriend of Mudblood Granger and side kick of Harry Potter." Ron had felt up her breasts, covering her mouth with his, shoving his tongue in, as she cried out in pain and disgust instead of arousal._

_Incensed by her resistance, Ron was now dragging her by the hair, and threw the basement door open. Hermione felt blood trickling down her face where he bit down on her lip. _

"_you will never leave me." Ron yelled as her threw her down the stairs, the first of many times, she would come to find. He locked the door and came back minutes later, to find her clutching her ribs, trying to make it up the stairs. Ron kicked her in the stomach and chained her to the wall after turning an old blanket into chains._

_Ron kneeled next to the now bloodied witch, Hermione's face was scrunched in pain and concentration as she kept trying to summon her magic and escape. Ron laughed and pulled out a small cube. "You want to know why your magic is weaker. honey? I've had this near your bed every night. In the drawer you keep your crossword puzzles. I nicked it from Malfoy Manor when we raided Lucius' study after the war. It weakens your magic, slowly and painfully. I weakened it for the time being, so you wouldn't notice it, but now we might as well use it full force." Ron touched the cube with his wand and Hermione screamed in pain, she could feel her magic being weakened and drained from her body. Ron kissed her forehead gently as she writhed on the floor. He left the dark basement, locking the door behind him. _

Hermione felt the tears dripping down her face, and checked the clock on her wall. She had an hour before work and stood up from her bed, wiping the errant tears and scolding herself for getting lost in dark memories. She knew she needed time to heal, but it was so hard.

Hermione examined her lingering injuries after a steaming hot shower. She shuddered at the wound in her stomach, M I N E, constantly goaded her, but she smiled slightly as she noticed the healing salve lessened the constant oozing of blood it emitted. It was no ordinary scar, she didn't know what Ron used to keep it fresh, but he delighted in reopening it when he could. It wasn't like her _mudblood_ scar, but she knew it was cursed. She just hoped this one could be healed.

Hermione finally ran out of the healing salves she stole from St. Mungos during her escape. Being pants at healing spells, Hermione decided to see how time healed her injuries. The brunette witch wrapped a bandage around her stomach to keep the scar from damaging her clothes. Her ribs were almost healed, she mused, and her bruises were all but gone.

As far as her scar, Hermione felt a new fire inside to see it disappear, _I just need a potions book._ She thought to herself, there must be something in it specifically for nasty, bewitched scars. Hermione resolved to make another trip into Wizarding London as Laurie to find a book. She worried it wouldn't be in Flourish &amp; Blotts, and shuddered at the possibility of venturing into Knockturn Alley.

Hermione slipped a cream turtleneck sweater on and some black muggle jeans. She decided to go pick up some croissants and coffee before Mavis and Peter showed up to open the shop. She slipped on to the streets of Muggle London, it was still relatively calm and Hermione reveled in the tranquility, breathing in fresh, cool air.

The bubbly blonde girl at the counter of the coffee shop was close to Hermione's age, and from what Hermione gathered, was soft on Peter Morrington.

"Good Morning, Alice!" Hermione called when she walked through the door.

"Laurie! Haven't seen you in a couple days, how is the shop?" Alice inquired. Hermione walked up to the counter filling her in on the business. Alice leaned forward conspiratorially, "I know you know I'm hung up on Petey, if that git would ever notice me" Alice sighed longingly, "but I have half a mind to drop him for that beautiful, I mean, _beautiful _bloke who has become somewhat of a regular at the shop these past few days." Alice whispered to Hermione.

Hermione laughed at the hair-brained girl, she was always, "falling in love" with customers.

"Who is it now, Alice?" Hermione rolled her eyes playfully.

"Over by the window, he hasn't stopped staring at you since you walked in!" Alice's eyes widened as she spoke.

"Why do you always get the good ones!?" the irrational girl pouted. Hermione patted her consolingly,

"Alice, don't get ahead of yourself, you can have him" Hermione winked before turning around to see just who riled the 19 year old up.

Hermione's jaw dropped, "Malfoy?"

The wizard smirked at her, he looked so out of place in the small coffee shop. Impeccably dressed, not a hair out of place, and his pale skin practically glowing. Hermione would have appreciated it, if her mind wasn't traveling at breakneck speeds.

Alice squeaked, "You know him?"

"Yeah we used to -" Hermione remembered herself, cursing at her mistake, "Uh he knew one of my old friends, but I've been seeing him more and more recently."

Malfoy stood up and walked over to the girls, "Alice" Malfoy gave the girl his megawatt smile and pulled out a wad of muggle money, "I'd like to pay for Laurie's bill. I couldn't help but hear, you fancy Laurie's dear friend, Peter. You should really make a move on the poor bloke, he thinks he fancies our dear Laurie here, but I don't think their compatible, do you?"

Alice only nodded at being addressed by the handsome stranger so directly before she moved to fill Hermione's coffee order. Hermione pulled out of Malfoy's gentle hold on her elbow, irritated at the warm tingles his touch brought.

"Don't talk about Peter like he's an imbecile. He most certainly does not fancy me. We're just friends." Laurie scolded, much like Hermione Granger in her prime. Draco smiled down at her, delighted at her bossiness. He'd been hanging around the coffee shop three mornings in a row, waiting for her to come in.

"Malfoy! Stop laughing. Why are you laughing, you prat?!" Hermione stomped her foot, but had to fight the smile off of her face.

"I'm sorry, Her-Laurie" He was still grinning down at the indignant girl, "It's just lovely to see you so heated, and not running away or hiding in a bookshop." He winked at her, hoping for another explosion.

The smile fell from Hermione's face and she turned away from the all too knowing look in Draco Malfoy's eyes. Being reminded of her ungryffindor-like habits of late, always brought a frown to her face.

"Alice, is the order ready?" Hermione snapped uncharacteristically. Alice came bustling out with her coffee, tea and dozen croissants.

Hermione sent the blonde girl an apologetic smile and went to grab the order when a pale arm reached around her and took hold of the bags and drink holder.

"Allow me." Draco interjected smoothly. "Thank you, Alice." Draco ushered a fuming Hermione out of the store.

"Listen, I don't know who you think you are, or why you _think _you know _anything _about my life or habits. Why do you keep showing up around here? Aren't these filthy muggles contaminating the precious air you breath, Malfoy?" Hermione spat viciously, reaching for her coffee. Her panic was mounting, and she looked around the streets paranoid. Hermione really hadn't expected him to return again.

Draco stepped back from the venom in her voice, "Laurie. I know you think I haven't changed from the boy I used to be, not that you actually knew me, but I like to think I'm a changed man. What's really going on?"

Hermione sighed and slumped her shoulders, she knew he was right. From the minute she woke up in the hospital to see his concerned grey eyes peering at her, to the cushioning charm, and to the day at the funeral, he had been nothing but kind. She remembered how safe she felt for a fraction of a second when he held her in his arms on that hospital bed. He was kind and a friend to Harry, she owed him the same.

"Listen, thanks for the coffee. However, I would really appreciate it if you left me alone. I-I'm trying to live a quiet life, a-away from the wizarding world. You can call it hiding, but I call it preservation." She spoke quietly, continuing to eye the streets, hyper aware. She felt uneasy and like something was out of place.

"Laurie" Draco took a step closer only to be interrupted by a louder voice calling her name. Draco cursed, seeing the sandy brown haired 19 year old running up to them. Peter looked at Draco suspiciously and moved next to Hermione, taking the coffee and croissants from her.

"Is everything alright here?" Peter asked, trying to seem intimidating. Draco tried to hide his smirk, but couldn't help it.

"And you told Alice there's nothing between you two...alright." Draco rolled his eyes making to turn away.

Hermione, hating to be challenged and wrong, stepped away from Peter towards Draco. "That's none of your business, Malfoy, but I wasn't lying. Peter is my friend! My only friend." she murmured the last part to herself.

Draco smiled to himself before turning around, thanking Salazar for his Slytherin side, "Well then, you shouldn't have a problem having lunch with me on Wednesday? "

Hermione's jaw dropped, taken aback, "Just because I don't have a boyfriend, doesn't mean I would go on a d-date with you." she rubbed her wrists subconsciously, feeling the panic return at being alone with a man she hardly knew. _But you know Draco. You knew Ron too._

Draco saw her hesitation, but his desperation to be near Hermione and look out for her overrode his pride, "Listen, I'll bring food to the shop, for everyone. I just want to get to know you better." _Look out for you, talk to you like I never got the chance. _

Hermione was shocked, surely Malfoy would never do this if he knew she was Hermione. _But what about the things we was saying about you at the funeral, how he always wanted to know you, had a crush on you, for Merlin's sake. _Having him at lunch, may allow her to get some information on Harry, Ginny and James too. She yearned to know how they were doing and if they were still safe.

Hermione gave in, "Okay, Wednesday. My break is at noon. Bring fish and chips for five." She shot him a smirk and turned away, but Draco reached for her hand, turning her around and placing a light kiss on her knuckles.

"I'll see you then, Laurie Lindsey." He said her name like it was an inside joke, and she furrowed her brows at his tone. His kiss made her shiver in anticipation and his stormy grey eyes bore into her own deep brown doe eyes. The small witch scolded her body for the reaction, and merely nodded before moving back to Peter, so they could open the shop.

Hermione looked up into Peter's troubled face, "Hey. Its okay. I'm not scared of him, and you will all be there too. " This didn't seem to placate the troubled 19 year old. Hermione was worried he was still harboring his silly crush on her. "Alice mentioned you again today, I think she fancies you, Peter. She is much more suitable than an old maid like me." Hermione hit his arm playfully and finally got a smile from the sandy haired brunette. He just nodded and ushered her into the shop.

Draco stood in place on the cobblestone street, watching Hermione walk away, he was giddy inside and determined to earn her trust. He would get Hermione back, for himself, for Harry, and everyone else she left behind. Once she was out of sight, he turned on his heel to find a place to apparate. Strolling around a corner, he saw a flash of bright red hair disappear as if in apparition.

Draco furrowed his brow, unsure of what he had just seen. A nearby clock struck 8:30 am and dashed the questions from his mind, he was late to work. Malfoy apparated on the spot to St. Mungo's, donning a goofy grin the whole time.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: Hope everyone liked the chapter! IT was sort of a transition chapter, and gave more insight into how Hermione came to be Ron's captive! Thank you so much for all of the reviews and support. I am sorry this chapter took a little bit longer than I intended it too. I was struggling for some inspiration! Also I started adding dates mostly for my sanity- I'll probably go change them on the other chapters as well. I hope everyone has a great week! I will try to get another chapter out this week!**

**Thank you to these reviewers:**

**Kittyinaz - **You're right. Peter is no match for Draco! And yes, More Harry and Ron interaction in the next chapter - Harry won't be completely clueless for much longer ;)

**rebelasaurus29- **Thank you so much!

**Malibu Baybreeze- **hahah yes, Peter is sweet, but not what our Hermione needs! Thank you so much, I hope to deliver!

**DuckiBelle - **Ron is waaaay bonkers!

**artlover8892- **Harry will realize soon that something isn't quite right! And yes, I am working those two towards a more platonic relationship, but you know how teenage boys can be!

**ladymagna1100- **Thank you! I Hope you liked this chapter!

**Alice Enchanted- **thank you for the review! Draco brings out that fiery bookworm in Hermione, we will definitely see more of her old self! More Harry/Ron in next chapter- you wont be put out for long! Its hard to see someone in a different light after so long! I'm glad you like Peter :)

**TiffTIffers09- **Draco is making sure Peter backs off ;) thank you!

**Chester99-** Great suggestion - timing is key for that conversation though! I'm sorry you thought Peter was creepy - he is just overly friendly and sort of like a puppy! Eager to please and help the scared new girl! I hope you liked this chapter! :)

**Sora Loves Rain- **They do need to be careful! Ron is very suspicious ;). Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter!

**shaymars- **You're right, Hermione needs to start trusting someone, especially Draco. He is going to try hard to make that happen!

**Hectorsmom- **haha yes maybe a small love triangle is in the works! I hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for your review!

** \- **Thanks! I haven't decided just what is in store for Ron's future, yet, but I think he may be too far lost? We will see! Hope you liked the chapter!

**4everanime- **I hope you liked the Ron info in this chapter! I like the way you think - very suspicious haha! You can most likely trust Peter though ;) he may just be a little naive and/or too trusting…

**jessicapalamara78- **Hope I didn't make you wait too long! Thanks for the review!

**Guest- **Thank you so much for liking this Ron! Its always scary writing an ooc main character!

**Selkura- **yes Ron has a weak mind and resolve! We will see badass Hermione again..it may just take some time and encouragement from a special blonde ;)

**Towards-Infinity-4ever-** It will only get darker! but thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter!


	7. Familiar Scent

**HP &amp; Co belong to JK Rowling **

**CH. 7: Familiar Scent**

**November 13, 2001 - Tuesday Evening**

Walking down the cobble-stoned streets of Diagon Alley, a witch with ebony short hair hugged the hood of her cloak tighter around her thin frame. She took turns keeping her eyes trained on her clumsy feet and the crowd around her, making sure not to draw unwanted attention by falling or bumping into someone. The sun was setting quicker now, and the witch finally reached her destination — the warm glow of the street lamp illuminated the _Flourish &amp; Blotts_ sign as she stole into the quiet shop.

The disguised Hermione Granger was relieved her favorite bookshop was relatively empty — most witches and wizards had stolen back to the warm hearth of their fires and away from the cold rain outside. The self ascribed bookworm pensively moved through the aisles, taking her time to get to the Magical Maladies and Healing rows.

Hermione tried not to think about how anxious she was for Malfoy to come to lunch tomorrow. She kept reminding herself that this 'date', _for lack of a better word , _Hermione scoffed at the image...but this date could be a good thing, a way to look out for Harry and his family as well.

Hermione let her mind wander to Malfoy's charming smile accompanied with his classic quick wit, but now it was void of malice and reserved for banter and arguing. She remembered the light kiss to her knuckles, his lips were warm and soft, and his eyes —grey like a storm cloud — held a knowing glint she wasn't used to seeing there. She'd only met him a few times now, yet he'd called her out on her recent tendency to hide, almost like he expected more from her. The young witch scowled, _I'm looking too much into this, Malfoy will come to lunch, share some information about Harry, get bored with a muggleborn witch, and then leave_.

With that resolve, Hermione dashed thoughts of the blonde from her mind and continued her perusal of the bookshelves, finally making a conscious move towards the medical books. She was determined to find a cure for the possessive scar Ron left behind, she knew she was most likely looking for a specific healing salve or potion for cursed injuries.

Chewing on her lower lip, Hermione scoured the shelves, pulling aside multiple titles that caught her eye. The young witch craned her neck to see the tomes on the top shelf; one deep red book with glittering gold lettering caught her eye. Hermione stood on her toes to reach it, but failed with a huff. _I should have made my glamoured self a bit taller,_ she thought wryly.So engrossed in her task, Hermione jumped when a kind voice came from her right, "Need some help with that?"

Hermione spun, desperately trying to contain her surprise, when she came face to face with a tired looking Remus Lupin. The reinstated Hogwarts DADA professor smiled kindly at her as Hermione fought to calm her heartbeat.

"Oh uhm yes, it seems to be just out of my reach." Hermione lamented, subconsciously rubbing her wrists.

The werewolf reached the book with ease and handed it to her while reading the title on the binding. "_Cursed Scars: Advanced Healing for Advanced Maladies"_ Remus murmured and looked to the witch, "Are you studying to be a Healer?"

Hermione stood in front of the small pile of books she'd accumulated on the floor behind her, worried he would read those as well. "Uhm...well n-no. Not currently. Just some research really, f-for a friend." Hermione stammered.

Remus watched the young witch he'd never seen before, feeling a sense of familiarity near her. "I'm Remus Lupin, by the way, Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. What kind of research are you doing? I'm pants at potions, but know a fair amount about dark curses and the like."

Hermione drank in the sight of her old friend and professor. She knew this to be true, before her capture, she confided in Remus about her mudblood scar and they spent a lot of free time researching ways to get rid of it. Remus looked at her curiously and Hermione realized she was staring.

"Laurie Lindsey. I-I'm just passing through. I'm not quite sure what exactly I'm dealing with just yet, so I'm trying to cover the bases and get a general knowledge at this point." Hermione smiled, telling as much truth as she could. "I wish I knew enough at this time to pick your brain though, Professor." Hermione smiled politely and turned the book over and over in her hands.

At her words, Remus was immediately transported back to the Black Library at Grimmauld Place right after the war. _Hermione was sitting at a large mahogany table with old dusty tomes piled around her. She turned one of the leather bound books in her hands and discussed her preliminary research with Remus, " I would love to pick your brain, but at this point I don't know what Bellatrix used on me, so I'm just trying to cover the bases."_

_Remus had smiled at her use of the Muggle phrase "cover the bases" remembering a time Lily Evans had used it to the Marauders confusion, and she had to explain to them the popular Muggle sport of baseball._

This strikingly similar conversation with this unfamiliar Laurie Lindsey put Lupin's senses on alert. "Well, if I can help, feel free to send me an owl at Hogwarts. I'm always looking for new projects, and I have some good friends up at St. Mungos." Remus stated slowly, taking his time to look over the witch again. She was still turning the book over and over in her hands, now avoiding eye contact. He could see a small pile of books behind her, as if she was shielding them from him.

Hermione worried her lip between her teeth, she knew as soon as she spoke the muggle phrase that it was a mistake. As Hermione, she was known for always using her muggle phrases, much to the humour of her friends. She felt the need to get away from Remus' scrutiny as soon as possible, but hesitated in drawing her wand to gather the books behind her, lest he recognize it as the vinewood of Hermione Granger.

Hermione nodded, "Thank you. I will take that into consideration. It was nice to meet you Professor Lupin." She quickly bent down and gathered the small pile into her arms, buckling slightly under the weight of the books.

Lupin was there with his wand out, giving the witch an odd look as he levitated the books to the front for her to pay. Hermione blushed, "erm thanks. I seem to have left my wand…" she mumbled under her breath.

The witch paid quickly, and had the clerk shrink her books to a more manageable size before she bolted out the door with one last look at Remus Lupin.

Remus watched Laurie Lindsey bolt out of the shop, he had heard her heart rate increase as she hurried to pay for her books. Moony's werewolf senses could smell her agitation, and everytime he took a step closer to her, trying to figure out why she was familiar, she moved away, keeping her distance, and pulling her cloak tighter around her neck and shoulders.

When the witch hurried through the door of the shop, a large gust of wind slammed into them from the East. He watched as the hood she was trying to secure on her shoulders, flew back. The wind pushed the cloak clear out of the small witch's grasp and through the open door. Remus moved forward to catch the flying garment and was hit full force with the witch's scent. He breathed it in, his nostrils flaring, and green eyes flashing amber as they narrowed at Laurie frozen in the doorway of _Flourish &amp; Blotts. _

Hermione cursed to herself, brown eyes widening in desperation. She knew the look on her old friend's face, the confusion and recognition as Moony's senses put him on high alert. Hermione had been trying to keep her scent from reaching him throughout their entire interaction. Exposing her previous lie, Hermione withdrew her wand and summoned her cloak from Remus' grasp. As soon as it flew back in her grasp, Hermione ran out into the torrential rain, thanking Merlin it would somewhat hinder the werewolf's eyesight, and it would wash away her scent as she escaped down the street.

Diagon Alley was relatively empty as she ran to the apparition point. Her still bruised ribs protested her rash and jerky movements. Hermione pushed herself harder when she heard Remus behind her, _damn werewolf is still in bloody good shape_, "WAIT!" he yelled through the rain. She smiled, thanking his intelligence to resist calling her real name.

Hermione's lungs were screaming as the apparition point came into view, her cloak dangled in her right hand, and her replacement beaded bag she fashioned for herself banged against her side from its place on her left shoulder. The witch couldn't bring herself to hex Remus, so she had to outrun him.

One last lunge, and Hermione was outside of the Diagon Alley wards. She turned for one last look, eyes widening as she saw Remus was only a short distance away. Hermione clenched her wand and focused on her flat in Muggle London.

Remus knew he was going to miss her. He ran after the disguised Hermione Granger, trying not to draw attraction from those left on the street. For this reason, he refrained from sending spells at her before she got away. He saw her reach the apparition point as did the only thing he knew he could before she apparated, "_Accio Cloak!" _Remus yelled.

The cloak wrenched free from her hand, and Remus saw Hermione's eyes close tightly in shock before she disappeared from the spot.

Remus stood in the rain, his chest heaving and his lungs begging for oxygen. The soaked traveling cloak hung limply from his left hand, his only memento of an interaction with the very much living Hermione Granger.

Brow furrowed, he knew this cloak was only worth something to those with animal senses like his...and _Sirius'_. Remus' intelligent mind swirled with confusion as he tried to work out what it all meant. _Hermione Granger was alive...and researching?_ He shook his head, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted and weighed down with this information._ Hermione Granger was Laurie Lindsey. _

Remus thought of the look on the unfamiliar face, but hauntingly familiar deep brown eyes, as he smelled her discarded cloak..._Hermione Granger was alive._

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Hermione apparated into the alley next to her flat - she kept anti apparition wards up in her room, just in case. Frantic, the witch tried to figure out her best course of action. Did Lupin know? _Probably._ She wasn't sure though, _Remus probably doesn't have my scent catalogued…_ _but then why was he chasing me?_ _I was acting pretty suspicious._ Hermione sighed and sat on her bed.

She had really taken a liking to the Morringtons, not to mention she had a paying job and a place to live, leaving again would set her back to square one, and it was unlikely she could get closer to wizarding London to keep an eye on Harry.

Hermione suddenly felt very tired. She was soaked thoroughly. _Remus can't prove anything to anyone else anyway. They would think he was crazy — well he's very smart and logical, but him spouting off that I was alive would make him seem insane. _She hated thinking of Remus so badly, but she was hoping for the best outcome in a sticky situation. _He doesn't even know where I am staying, and unless he talks to Harry about it, he won't. _

Hermione let her thoughts run continuously under the scalding stream of water in the shower. She knew she could leave again, but a nagging sense told her to wait. _A cloak from a stranger in a bookshop that smells like me...to someone with animal senses - is grasping at straws. Remus Lupin doesn't give half - baked conclusions to anyone. I'm safe, for now. If I'm not, I'll leave again. _ Hermione knew she was talking herself out of leaving, as she was attached to her bookshop and the comfort she felt there. She knew Remus Lupin, as one of her good friends, and it was out of character for him to want to work Harry into a frenzy by suggesting his friend was ... I don't know —still _alive?_

The curly haired witch resolved to stay and wait until lunch tomorrow - if Malfoy acted strangely, she could make her get away, as much as she didn't want to. Peter and Mavis had been so caring, and helpful. Hermione nervously rubbed her wrists as she laid down on her bed. She drank her last dreamless sleep potion, knowing that tomorrow her nightmares would return in full force.

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Remus Lupin entered the shady front hallway of Grimmauld Place. He quickly cast a drying charm on his clothes and attempted to look less wild and shaken. He knew his hair was out of place and his amber eyes glowing as Moony alerted him that something was not right - he knew he was holding Hermione Granger's cloak.

It may have been a bit impulsive to believe the stranger, Laurie, was actually Hermione Granger. That was impossible, no? But her mannerisms were the same - and this cloak undoubtedly belongs or belong_ed_ to Hermione Granger. Everyone had their own scent, some may be similar, but each was still very distinct to someone like a werewolf or animagus. Hermione was - yes, once his student - but during the war and soon after - his close friend. They were the quiet intellectuals with fiery tempers, and they often joked about his fact. Hours of research with the young witch meant he knew her scent very well.

If this Laurie witch had Hermione's cloak and wasn't Hermione Granger, maybe she had something to do with her initial disappearance.

Remus sighed and checked the time on his pocket watch. 9pm. He grumbled to himself realizing Tonks had most likely put Teddy in bed already, something he hated missing out on -especially when he was at school so much teaching.

The sound of clanking dishes and moving chairs in the kitchen alerted the werewolf of his roommates position. When Harry married Ginny, they moved to a cottage in Godric's Hollow, leaving Sirius, Remus and Tonks to stay in the renovated Grimmauld Place. A renovation made possible with the help of all their close friends, especially Hermione. Bill, Tonks, Hermione and himself did the majority of curse breaking around the ancient House of Black while Ginny, Molly, Fleur redecorated. Harry and Sirius cleaned out the rooms and helped in all aspects of the renovation project. Ron stayed away, for the most part, annoyed with the extra work.

Remus shook the memories from his head, trying to decide his next move in dealing with the situation at hand. He had no doubt from the look on the witch's face that she was in trouble, Hermione or no Hermione. A gut feeling told him it was Hermione, though. Lupin walked into the brightly lit kitchen to see Sirius lounged at the table with a glass of firewhiskey and Harry across from him, hands in his hair.

Remus cautiously put the cloak behind his back, not ready to confront Harry yet.

"Oi. Moony. You look like shit." Sirius called amusedly.

Lupin just nodded, "Tonks still with Teddy?"

Harry and Sirius nodded

"And what brings you by, Harry?" Remus tried not to be irritated, but he wanted to speak with Sirius alone and get him to smell the cloak.

"Oh well James and Ginny went to bed early, and I couldn't sleep. I'm actually to meet Draco at the Three Broomsticks soon, he's got something to talk to me about. I just wanted to check in over here." Harry had dark circles under his eyes, and he'd been even more protective of his friends and family he past few weeks. Remus and Sirius both knew the wizard was getting little to no sleep since they found Hermione — and lost her — in the span of a few hours.

"Shouldn't you get some sleep, Harry? I've got some Dreamless Sleep, if its nightmares keeping you up?" Remus inquired gently.

Harry stood up abruptly, "No, I'm good. Really. I've just had a lot on my plate, lately." He sent his father's two best friends a pained smile. "Well, I better be off"

Harry was heading towards the floo when he noticed the small cloak in Remus' hand.

Harry stopped and stared. The cloak was black, but had red and gold diamond shaped embroidery around the edges. He felt his heart drop when he recognized the cloak - or a he hoped it wasn't what he recognized. Harry's last Christmas present to Hermione had been to get her a custom made black cloak with embroidered edges, just like the one Remus was holding. He knew it couldn't be the same cloak, for Hermione's was still at her cottage.

"Where did you get that cloak, Remus?" Harry's eyes narrowed at the werewolf.

Remus whirled around to face Harry. "Oh uh - a witch I met at Flourish &amp; Blotts left it behind. I thought I'd better return it, as it looks sort of personalized." Remus shrugged , feigning nonchalance.

"Who was this witch?" Harry's eyes were blazing green. He couldn't shake the feeling of worry as he eyed the small cloak, was Hermione in trouble again?

"Never met her before, she said her name was Laurie. Looked about your age, and was browsing through some potions books." Remus didn't understand why Harry was so curious, but was glad he'd refrained from mentioning his ideas in regards to the owner of the cloak.

Harry's face paled, yet his heart warmed. Hermione charmed her cloak to resemble the one he'd once given her. She obviously still missed and loved him, even though she doesn't trust him, her brother, to keep her safe. His face fell even more when the realization dawned on him. _Shit. Moony._

Harry looked from the cloak to Remus Lupin's face. There was a blank mask on the usually kind, scruffy man. Harry remembered the wild, worried look he'd seen in his old professor's eyes when he first walked into the kitchen looking for Sirius.

"You met Laurie?" Harry inquired. He didn't know whether he wanted Remus to have found out her secret or not. He was bound not to tell, but Remus may have figured it out on his own. Harry decided it was best to keep mum; he was worried of Hermione fleeing again.

"You _know_ her?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Yes, I will return the cloak to her," Harry said in clipped words as he drew his wand, ready to accio the cloak.

Remus' eyes widened. "No. It's fine Harry. I've got it under control." Sirius watched the two curiously.

"I really insist. I should bring it to her, she's quite the recluse." Harry stepped forward, his wand still out.

Sirius barked," _Accio Cloak!"_ _what the fuck is the big deal over this thing_ the perplexed animagus thought, just a little bit buzzed from firewhiskey. The cloak soared over to him, hitting him full in the face - his spell was more powerful than he'd intended.

"Holy Shit!" Sirius stood up. "This smells just like Her-"

"SIRIUS!" Both Harry and Remus yelled at the same time, and then looked at each other, eyes wide.

"Harry…" Sirius began

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Remus growled at the startled green eyes.

"Ah fuck. Ok. look. uhm. I need to floo Draco and we need to go somewhere private." Harry rambled.

Sirius' temper flared and Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Harry you better explain - why the fuck this smells _freshly_ like the girl who's been missing for 18months and buried for a week now…" Sirius took an aggressive step forward.

"I really can't tell you without Malfoy here." Harry sighed and rubbed his temples. "I'll go get him, hold on." Harry apparated, leaving Remus and Sirius in stunned silence.

Sirius began to pace anxiously. "Bloody hell, Remus. It can't be? Can it?"

Remus shook his head, "She ran from me, Pads. She was glamoured, but their mannerisms were the same and the eyes too." Remus shook his head, "She was terrified. Didn't even try to get her cloak —Hermione saw me inhale her scent and took off running."

Sirius growled angrily, he always held Hermione as close to his heart as Harry , they were both his family especially after the war when she learned of her parent's fate.

Harry's face came through the floo telling the two wizards to come into Draco's flat, as it was the the most private place at the moment.

As soon as Remus and Sirius entered Malfoy's flat, Sirius charged his younger blood relative.

"What the fuck do you have to do with this?" Sirius snarled in the younger wizards face.

Draco Malfoy, ever the picture of pureblooded manners, took out his silver handkerchief and wiped his face off from the spit Sirius emitted.

"I'd advise you to take a step back,_ mate_. I know my past is dark, but I've worked every day of my life since then to make up for it, and to one day be good enough for _her._" Draco was trembling with fury, he knew he couldn't run from his past decisions, but it was hard to be reminded that people still associate him with the Dark Lord.

"Padfoot. Don't let your temper cloud your judgement, Draco was with us at 's for James' birth." Remus reminded.

Draco nodded his thanks to his old professor.

"I made Harry take an Unbreakable Vow." Draco stared ahead blankly, "We didn't know who we could trust, we still don't, but I don't think Potter will take kindly to me obliviating the two of you." He looked at Harry pleadingly, who shook his head.

"Why would you bind him by an Unbreakable?" Remus asked, his eyes narrowed

"Because she's bloody worth it!" Draco yelled, losing his patience. Sirius' eyebrows rose into his shaggy hair. He sat on the leather couch when Draco motioned for everyone to relax, as their explanation was a long one.

When Draco and Harry concluded their story, the older wizards stared straight ahead; Harry thought you could hear their minds whirring at high speed.

Remus looked up suddenly, "She was buying books on potions and salves — to heal a cursed scar." Sirius shook with anger, imagining the ugly MINE scar Draco described on Hermione's porcelain skin.

Draco cursed, "she must be running out of the potions she stole, and she's living with muggles so I doubt she had time or the materials to set up a cauldron."

Remus and Sirius looked up, "You know where she's living?"

"In the flat above the shop." Draco murmured absent- mindedly thinking of ways to sneak the witch potions on their lunch tomorrow.

Remus jumped up, "We've got to go, _now._ She could've left by now! Why didn't you start off with that?"

Draco's head snapped up, "What do you mean? Wait, you never actually told us the story of how you got this cloak," But suddenly Draco knew the answer

"She knows you know." the words echoed ominously in the quiet flat. Draco turned on the spot, a deep pit of despair opening in his stomach. _She may already be gone._

Draco arrived in the alleyway next to Hermione's apartment, immediately feeling the wards still up. He muttered a _Homenum Revelio_. Relief flooded his entire body when he saw she was in her flat, seemingly unmoving and asleep.

Apparating back to his apartment he relayed the good news, " I have no idea why she hasn't run. All she's been doing is avoiding and hiding from us." Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "I'm to have lunch with 'Laurie' tomorrow. I think we should watch her flat over night though."

Harry nodded in agreement, both wizards could feel their bodies sink further into exhaustion.

"I want to help. Whether its finding the bastard that did it, or protecting Hermione, put me on duty." Sirius spoke up, "That witch is family, like a daughter - Harry's sister. I'll be damned if I let her get away again."

Draco nodded in understanding, "I'll have to ask you to take an Unbreakable now. I don't know who to trust, and you shouldn't either."

Remus scowled, "My wife's an Auror, you two. What am I supposed to do, lie?"

Harry's jaw was set as he took the lead, "Listen, I thought it was a bit much at first, but then I thought about my Hermione, my sister. She is Gryffindor through and through. She doesn't run and hide, and she wouldn't unless she thought it was necessary. I-I don't think she's protecting herself by running...I think she's protecting _us." _

Draco hadn't heard this theory before, and by the looks on the other two wizards faces, it made perfect sense. A new foreboding settled over the only four people who knew the truth of Hermione Granger.

Remus spoke quietly , "Its someone we know, someone with the _ability_ to hurt us. Otherwise, we are the most vigilantly protected witches and wizards in Britain." Sirius nodded solemnly, it was no secret that The Order remained attached to Moody's old tagline, "Constant Vigilance."

Remus and Sirius looked at one another and then stuck their arms out, unmistakably asking for the Unbreakable Vow. A silent unease settled in as each wizard went through the faces of those closest to them. _Who would want to torture Hermione Granger?_

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A/N: Can you say…"writer's block?!" Im so sorry. I wrote the first part of this chapter and then just froze, unsure of how i wanted to proceed. I hope you like this slight change of direction…! I apologize for the wait, as well. Grad School is no walk in the park and is taking up all my free time and sanity. Thank you so much for all of the friendly reviews. For those that are negative, well - if you don't like what I am writing (especially after six now seven chapters) Dont read it- simple. Thank you to everyone who followed and favorited this story!

Shout out to these reviewers:

**DuckiBelle **\- thank you! I Was worried about how the flashback would be received. Don't worry I will get to the fish and chips lunch - just a slight detour

**tjw242- **I hope you stay hooked! Yes more flashbacks will come - promise ;)

** . **\- They are getting closer to Ron! I promise!

**rebelsaurus29- **Hope you liked this! Sorry no Hermione Draco in this chapter - but lots next chapter!

**Moste-Potente-4ever - **Ah I'm sure you are wonderful! Thank you so much - I hope I can do the characters justice. Ill try to keep them fresh for you

**Sora Loves Rain - **He really is a psycho - and hes only gonna get worse! Hope you liked the update!

**marianna79- **Thank yoU!

**4everanime - **He definitely has some problems - you got that right! We will see some insight to what Ron saw in the next chapter - don't worry its not all hopeless yet!

**Kittyinaz - **Ron is definitley suspicious, but he has no reason to believe Hermione isn't dead - at this point in time! But they better be careful! I hope you like this chapter!

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**marz - **You were the push I needed - After reading your review I made myself sit down and get back to work!


	8. Garden Gambles

**I own nothing associated with Harry Potter &amp; Co.**

**Ch. 8: Garden Gambles**

**November 14, 2001**

Hermione awoke the next morning feeling groggy and confused. Rubbing her hands against the her eyelids, she tried to push the leftover sleep away. The curly haired witch stumbled into the washroom to scrub her face and get ready for the day. It wasn't until she noticed the haunted circles under her eyes that she remembered the events of last night.

Despite the safety measures she ensured in her flat, Hermione glanced around agitatedly, and decided to put her glamour on earlier than usual. She enjoyed the quiet moments in her private space when she could feel like Hermione Granger again. Hermione felt her height increase a few inches, and hair shrink up into the pixie cut, darkening in shade. Her face tightened and elongated; and in no time at all, she was Laurie Lindsey.

Hermione took it as a good sign that Harry and Remus, or even worse _He _wasn't beating down her door, or pacing outside the bookstore. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach thinking about her upcoming lunch with Malfoy. Surely, if they knew who and where she was after her run in with Remus, Malfoy would be able to give her a hint, however, Slytherins were decidedly subtle and manipulative, so she would have to stay on guard.

All of these thoughts continued through her brain, maybe Remus didn't know? Or maybe he wanted to collect all of the facts first...that sounded more like her werewolf professor. She already decided to stay put until the risk was too high, Hermione could handle a little risk in order to keep an eye on the Potter's, her family.

Outside she heard a dark barking playfully. The distant sound soon faded away to the growling of her stomach. Hermione moaned, upset she forgot buy groceries the night before. The young witch grabbed her grey beanie and pulled it on over her short hair and ears, her fathers reminder, "A body's heat exits the most from the head and feet!" rang through her mind. Walking down the stairs and out the front door, Hermione headed back to her little coffee shop.

Lost in thought, Hermione subconsciously braced herself against the cold November wind, pulling her slightly large winter coat that once belonged to the Morrington's tighter around her. The sound of the dog barking playfully returned and she looked from side to side trying to locate the animal, but had no such luck. But from the sound of cats screeching and hissing, Hermione guessed the offending creature was making mischief in the alleyway.

Hermione smiled to herself; she realized she was actually excited about seeing Draco Malfoy today, excited for answers, for company, and for new _friendship? Merlin that is strange_, Hermione shook her head disbelievingly and continued into the shop to get some much needed caffeine.

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Sirius Black aka Padfoot at the moment, couldn't help the joyous barks that left his animagus form. He'd been on guard at Hermione's apartment ever since Draco, Harry, Remus and himself decided she needed to be under closer watch. Sirius, still disbelieving that Hermione Granger was actually alive, agreed to take first watch so he could see the girl for himself.

The second he landed near her bookshop, Sirius knew his mates were correct. He could smell her scent everywhere. He waited and paced the alley all night long, looking up at her closed window. When the morning came, he got a glimpse of an actual Hermione Granger as she opened her blinds. He barked happily and ran around, refraining himself from jumping the young witch he considered family. She had quickly realized her glamour missing and changed into who he supposed was Laurie Lindsey.

When Laurie exited her flat fifteen minutes later, Sirius was so ecstatic his Hermione was alive, he followed her in the shadows, however, he couldn't help but chase and irritate a gaggle of stray cats . He had to expound his energy somehow, and he knew Hermione was too smart to not put two and two together if she noticed a big black dog trailing her the night after her run in with a werewolf.

Sirius followed nearby until the small witch was back safely in her bookshop, and then he waited until noon when he saw Malfoy approach with take out sacks, giving him an imperceptible nod. Sirius apparated home to Grimmauld place where he attacked his best mate with a full on man-hug. Both marauders weren't ashamed to wipe the happy tears from their eyes when their hug was interrupted by an curious Tonks. Remus loved that his wife didn't ask questions, she just murmured something about 'big ole softies' and carried Teddy to the next room.

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"Oh no, don't you even try to clean up, Laurie. Not you either Draco, dear. You two go out to the garden." Mavis was pushing them out the door with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"But- Mavis, its already past my lunch break and -" Hermione tried to argue, she did want to speak with Draco, but was also confused with the butterflies in her stomach that erupted at the idea of being alone with him. Malfoy had been absolutely charming at lunch, not once sneering at the muggles or making pompous elitist comments. Yes, he ate his chips with a fork and knife, cutting and dipping them into condiments— he was still a well-mannered aristocrat, to which Hermione stifled a giggle. Draco had even made an effort to be friendly to Peter, who acted pretty sullen at the suggestion of the two going up to the garden together.

"Now, Laurie. Your friend brought us lunch, and you never give yourself time off. I'll come get you if the store gets too busy." The sneaky old lady winked at the pair and swatted Peter with a dish towel telling him to get to work. Draco shot the old women a dashing grin, definitely his new favorite muggle, then led Hermione out the side door with a hand at her lower back. He noticed she twitched away from him at the first contact, but when she looked into his eyes, she must've seen something she trusted, because she relaxed to his touch and led them up the stairs.

"I think you've just about charmed the pants off of Mavis." Hermione broke the silence, chuckling lightly. It was a beautiful sound. Draco laughed and scrunched up his sharp features into a grimace, "Not a pretty picture, Laurie."

Hermione laughed even harder, "I might need to warn her husband. Especially since she gave you an 'open invitation' to family dinner."

Draco smiled down at the witch, wishing he was really looking at Hermione Granger.

"Hey! I earned that invitation on pure personality and sincerity, not good looks, charm, and flirting," Draco tried to look incensed, but his face crumbled into another shy grin. _Who was this Malfoy?_ "Ok, maybe I turned on the charm just a little bit, but its worth it if I have an open invite to see you whenever I want."

Hermione blushed pink and Draco almost smacked himself. He hadn't meant to come on strong. The two sat on the bench in Mavis' rooftop garden, and Hermione idly stared out at the flowers.

"That is, of course, if it is alright with you." Draco tried again, he wanted this witch's trust more than anything.

Hermione felt her heart rate increase and bit her lip. It was way too soon to even feel remotely affected by some other wizard, especially one who'd hurt her in the past. _But he has changed, even you can see it. Harry doesn't just trust anyone either. But Harry trusts Ron too…_

Draco noticed her internal battle and panicked as her walls became even more pronounced, so he dropped the matter and tried a new angle" Harry Potter, you know, Hermione best friend and mine? He wanted me to thank you for helping him the other day."

Laurie's eyes, the only characteristic that carried over from Hermione, widened as she turned to face him again. "A-and how is he doing? He's an Auror, correct? Are him and his family well?"

_Jackpot. Harry may actually be right. _"They seem to be doing okay. Still pretty broken up about Hermione, you know. Everyone is." Draco sighed, but held her gaze. His bright grey eyes piercing the chocolate orbs in front him him. He noticed her breath hitch. "Are you two very close, then?"

Draco smiled, "Yeah. He's really one of my best mates, something that really pisses off the stupid Weasel." Draco scoffed, sounding more like his old self. He had to admit, it was sort of fun to hold his friendship with Harry over the Weasel's head.

Through his internal musing, he noticed Hermione's face pale and breathing quicken. Draco narrowed his eyes, and looked around the rooftop, then back at Hermione who was trying to compose herself.

"Are you alright?" He leaned closer to her, she smelled like strawberries and jasmine.

"Y-yes. Uhm. But Harry is alright? Does uhm R-Ron Weasley actually get angry at Harry for your friendship?" Draco watched the suddenly panicked girl closely. _Is she worried I'm 'breaking up' the Golden Trio? _

"well...no not really." Draco dragged out the last word as if he were contemplating her question.

"He was pretty miffed the other day. Actually, when we returned from visiting you that one afternoon , he stomped into the Three Broomsticks acting all angry, and then whiny. He used Hermione's passing as an excuse of his behavior, but I'm pretty sure he was just jealous, you don't know the bloke, but he has a sidekick complex in the worst way." Draco chuckled but stopped as he Hermione leapt up and began pacing.

"D-don't mess with R-Ron, Malfoy. Please." She was pleading with him. _What in Salazar's name? _

"Laurie. Harry is perfectly capable of handling Ron Weasley acting like a jealous girlfriend. And so am I. The idiot hardly made it through school, and only made it through the war because of brilliant Granger. Don't worry the last remaining part of the precious Golden Trio won't crumble because of me." Draco was watching the pacing witch closely, gradually becoming annoyed with her worry over Ron's friendship with Harry. She was always blind to the fact that she and Harry deserved much better than the leech and idiot that was The Weasel.

"Did he know where you both were that day?" Hermione suddenly stopped.

"Uh- no. We just told him we were out…I know you like your privacy." Draco took a step towards her. "Why 20 questions about Ron Weasley?"

Draco was now irritated, he never really factored Hermione not being over Ron Weasley into the picture. Something about that didn't sit right.

"He's dating the moron Lavender Brown anyway." Draco huffed, "but if you really want an introduction it can be arranged." He was looked away from her, frustrated at the lack of progress he was making at even becoming her friend.

A squeak made him turn back around. Laurie looked like death and was now rubbing her wrists. "Laurie?" Draco walked back towards her and tried to reach out and steady her by the shoulders, but the witch leapt back. She was in survival mode.

"I've got to go. This was stupid." she was mumbling to herself. Hermione was having something akin to a panic attack.

Of course if Draco was friends with Harry, Ron would be mad. If she knew Ron, he had probably already been following Harry and Draco, that's what a jealous Ron did. He followed her everywhere in the months before captivity, always trying to catch her with another wizard or with Harry doing something inappropriate. _Why oh why did everyone have to underestimate Ron?_

It didn't matter anymore that Remus Lupin may know her secret, because it was possible that Ron already did. Draco was in danger then, too. _Blasted unbreakable vow. I can't even tell him, and I was just starting to feel safe. Draco will have to keep an eye on the Potter's . I don't think I can, I only make things worse._

Hermione was almost to the stairs of the roof when Draco's voice broke through her haze of panic, "Laurie! Stop!"

He ran over to her, looking down into worried orbs, his eyes searching hers.

"Take care of the Potter's please, Draco?" She quietly pleaded. Draco was momentarily stunned at how wonderful his name sounded on what he knew was Hermione Granger's lips — he didn't hardly care that the voice was a few octaves too high and coming from Laurie Lindsey.

One look at her panicked face and mumbling and Draco knew she was running again. It was the same look she had on her face in the hospital room. Draco pulled his wand out. "You can't run again. I'll keep you from whatever it is you're running from. What's going on? I thought everything was okay." Draco was trying to keep his cool, but failing as desperation took over.

Hermione's eye widened, "I'm not running. I-I its time for you to go." Hermione was about to draw her wand, but Draco was quicker and disarmed her. Hermione felt fear take over, oh how she missed her courage.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" She whispered.

"I don't want to hurt you, Merlin knows someone else already has." Draco stated quietly and Hermione gasped rubbing her wrists. _He knew. How? Who was he working with? Ron? Lupin? Both?_

"You need to leave. You don't know what you're talking about." She snapped, trying to push the blonde into disinterest, a last ditch effort if there ever was one.

"I don't think that is going to happen. Let me help you. You don't have to run. Whatever it is, whatever you think you have to protect Harry from, we can handle it. Together. You aren't alone anymore, Hermione." Draco pleaded, the name slipping from his lips before he could stop it.

That was all she needed to hear before she turned to run for it. Draco sighed, knowing this move was about to cost him any chance he had with her, friend or more. But Harry would never be fully whole if they lost her again.

"_Stupisomnus" _A spell of Draco's creation fell from his lips, and Hermione's body painlessly fell into a deep sleep, floating a few inches above the ground until Draco could get to it and carry her bridal style. Draco left a note, with a spell to mimic Hermione's handwriting, and sent it to stick on the window of the back door (it looked to be stuck with muggle adhesive..._tape? I think its called_), but it was a note for Mavis saying Hermione was going to meet Draco's friends for the evening and would be back to work tomorrow.

Draco grimaced, Hermione may not forgive him, but he knew Harry would have done the same, and with that resolve, he apparated to his flat, a limp Hermione in his arms.

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**Shorter chapter, I know! But this was a natural stopping point. Sorry for the absence, final papers and what not are upon me. I hope everyone enjoyed this installment! Things are picking up again! Dramione will happen, I promise! How will the other men feel about Draco's actions? What's going on with the Weasel? We haven't heard from him in a couple chapters? Just sit tight and I will provide answers! :D **

**Reviewers get to sit in a rooftop garden with Draco (and not freak out hehe)**

**Thank you to all of the reviewers last chapter:**

**rebelsaurus29 - **thank you! I love the Marauders and I'm glad you do too!

**ladymagna1100 - **Don't worry- there will be happy ending for Hermione, but unfortunate for her the road is a long and winding one, fortunate for me though because I'm fond of writing this story ;).

**kittyinaz - **How's that for Draco playing it smart? (oopsie - he did his best though!) Good idea about the twins though, they are remarkably devious and amazing, surely there is a place for them in this fic, right? ;)

**4everanime - **thank you! grad school is kicking my arse right now, but I'm doing my best! I hope you enjoyed this chapter - more about what's going on with Ron in the next chapter

**Honoria Granger - **you make me laugh! I hope he's villain enough for you in this fic! Our Hermione will end up with someone much more suited for her

** . - **Moony is a clever one! Thanks for reading!

**Hermionehp135 - **one of the best and nicest reviews I've ever received! I have probably read it 1000+ times. Thank you thank you for your amazingly exaggerated praise. I don't deserve it! I hope you like this chapter:)

**daffmoon- **Thank you so much! I hope this chapter was satisfactory to you as well!

**AllWasWell07 - **thanks so much!

**Briallyson94 - **Thank you!

**Guest - **I think Hermione's help is right around the corner ! hehe

**Dramioneshipperr - **Thank you so much! I'm trying hard!

**tjw242 - **You understand my pain! Its tough! And thanks for reading!

**4ever-A-Painter - **Thank you! I hope you're still on the line ;) (fishing jokes...anyone?)

**666spektor - **Ron will get his! I promise! Thanks for reading!

**alisha - **Thank you so much - your review helps me get back to writing! (*Sheepish* I needed that :) )


	9. Freakouts, Flashbacks, and Fluffy Beds

**I own nothing - Harry Potter &amp; Co. belongs to JKR**

**Chapter 9: Freakouts, Flashbacks, and Fluffy Beds**

**November 14, 2001 **

"_Harry, _please!"

Hermione heard a desperate voice pierce through the darkness of unconsciousness . The witch noticed she was comfortably enveloped in silky clouds that must be pillows. If she were more awake, she would've let out a contented sigh.

"Shite, you only call me Harry when you're really freaking out." Harry's voice held a hint of amusement to it

"Malfoys do not _freak _out." The blonde sniffed snootily, knowing he wasn't fooling Harry anyway.

"She hardly knows me, let alone trusts me. Yes, she's seen the _me_ since Hogwarts, but when she wakes up she is going to think I'm still an evil git who's now gone and abducted her! Harry, I didn't know what else to do, we were going to lose her again!" The voice was beginning to panic and Hermione felt the need to comfort the poor bloke.

"Draco, listen. I can't get away, it would cause too much suspicion now, in the middle of the day. I'll send Sirius or Remus over as soon as possible. Remus can aid you in looking for remaining dark curses or figuring out how to get past whatever it is that prevents her from telling us who her captor was. You're the healer after all — I trust you, Malfoy. Just keep her wand and keep her there! I love my sister, but give her another sleeping draught if you must." Harry's hushed whispers leaked through the room.

Hermione's hazy consciousness started to clear as she realized just who and what she was listening in on. Her afternoon came barreling back; _Malfoy, the garden, running. And apparently Harry, Remus and Sirius know as well...what if _he_ knew now, too? It's bloody likely._ Cinnamon eyes shot open, and curls defied gravity as legs leapt out of the bed and onto the floor. _Hmm so those silky pillows were the clouds... _Hermione swayed on the spot, dizzy from her abrupt movements.

Draco was grumbling to Harry through what she registered was the floo network. Hermione locked eyes with her best friend in the fire, who sputtered, "MALFOY! " and pointed behind him. Hermione was frantically looking for her wand. Olive skin and long chestnut girls invaded her vision and she knew Malfoy had taken off her glamour.

"Potter — go, if anyone walks in and sees her, she could be doomed. Come here as soon as you can. And owl Lupin!" Draco shouted the instructions and shut down the floo.

Hermione, desperate to escape and convinced Ron was on his way, gave up on the search for her beloved wand and ran straight for the bedroom door. She reached out for the handle, and it wouldn't budge, _locked, _she realized in a panic. Hermione felt her heart beating erratically and the panic threatening to overtake her logical senses. All she could think was _not again, not again._ She may have been saying it aloud, but wasn't aware. Her panic made her forget the words of concern and protection she overheard between Harry and Malfoy, and instead zeroed in on her current captivity.

The wild-haired witch whirled around when she heard his footsteps inching calmly closer and closer. Her panicked eyes took in his position across the room, Malfoy wasn't running at her, but approaching her cautiously. Concern and some other emotion she couldn't place, shone from his blazing silver eyes, but none of it mattered or clicked for Hermione, for Panic was ruling her mind.

Silver turned a bright blue, and white blonde hair turned Weasley red. The cautious concern turned to malice, and promised words of safety turned to threats. She was not in a pleasantly comfortable and decorated room, but back in the basement, in one of her attempts to escape. Hermione's eyes unfocused as she trapped herself in horrid memories.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Hermione waited; scared but determined on her dingy cot. Ron would be returning from work any moment.. She was weak, physically and magically, but she had to try. Ron was a creature of habit and routine, and Hermione was ready to try to escape...again. The punishment was always awful, but she refused to give up. _

_Hermione heard the locks on the basement door release, and upon entering, not be relocked — the bastard was getting careless and cocky, just what she needed. Hermione hid the sharpened piece of wood that she'd salvaged from the ashes of her bookshelf. Ron came lumbering down the stairs, lust in his eyes. Bright blue eyes that used to hold so much love and compassion, she would almost drown in their swirling depths. Now the bright blue was violent and cold. _

_Ron transfigured her ratty clothes into his favorite negligee and Hermione fought to hold the bile down. She would never give in to his advances; Hermione lost count of how many times he'd raped her._

_Still on her bed, she gave him a sultry look, and Ron raised his eyebrows. _

"_Baby, I knew you'd give in to me sooner or later. Like I said, if you cooperate, I'll give you better food — but you need to actually do some work for it, like a long, hot, sweaty shag." Ron licked his lips, _

"_You don't need more food when you just lay there like a cold bitch, whimpering and whining."_

_Hermione felt her rage flare, but tried to just smile and nod. She stood up from her dingy cot and moved behind Ron, beginning to undress him. Ron smiled lecherously, and turned around to grab at her waist. "Mmm baby, your tits look great in this color." he grabbed at both of her breasts, kneading them, and then leaning down to take a lace covered nipple in his mouth. _

_Hermione bit her lip to contain a cry of anguish and instead spoke softly, "uh-uh Ronald. Please, let me pleasure you. Turn around, I want to massage you. Your huge muscles are so tense." _

_Ron preened under her compliments and released his hold on her chest to turn around and transfigure the bed to be bigger and softer before he laid on his stomach. Hermione straddled his naked back and began to rub his shoulders. Ron set his wand on his bedside and sighed, reaching his hands back to rub her legs. "I'm so glad you've finally seen reason, Hermione. You are and always will be mine."_

_Hermione rubbed down his back with one elbow and reached over to her hiding place. Before he could look back again, she used all of her mite and stabbed him in the side. It didn't sink as deep as she wanted, for she was weaker than she thought, and his muscles really had grown recently._

_Immediately Ron leapt up howling, taking Hermione with him, and trapping her legs with his biceps. She was now hitting his arms trying to get down and run for it. Instead, he moved up against the back wall and slammed into it, her head hit the concrete and she slid to the ground. As Ron struggled with the shank in his side, Hermione caught sight of his wand. She made a lunge for the object, but when she touched it, her hand recoiled , sporting a severe burn. _

_Yelping, she heard a humourless laugh, "You - fucking - stupid - bitch." Ron was wheezing and bleeding, "You still think I'm the - idiot - from -Hogwarts. The wanker who knows no defense spells. Like I would come down here and leave my wand without protection. " Ron wheezed again, stalking towards her as fast as he could. Hermione scrambled out of his way and had a clear shot for the stairs. She hiked up her long silk negligee and kicked Ron in the groin when he got close enough. He grabbed her foot when it made contact and twisted her ankle in a severe angle._

_Hermione kicked free and crawled up the basement stairs while Ron regained his breath from the blow to his crotch. Just before she reached the top of the stairs, she felt the magic whoosh past her, locking the door. Hermione screamed and banged on the thick offending wood. The frantic witch tried with all of her mite to unlock it wandlessly, but she knew Ron was still tampering with her magic, daily. _

_Screaming until her throat was raws she chanted, "Alohomora" repeatedly. Hermione knew she was in for severe punishment. After what felt like an hour, but was only about 30 seconds, Hermione heard the stairs creak behind her. She turned in horror as the light in Ron's blue eyes was more violent than she'd ever seen. Hermione tried to back away, and shuddered as the wood from the basement door pressed coldly against her spine._

_Hermione kept screaming as Ron moved towards her at tortuously slow place. He didn't even silence her — he reveled in her horror. Hermione's hopelessness and panic seized her conscious mind and she passed out when Ron was two steps from her; anger, rage, and excitement coming off of him in waves. Before she blacked out, the young witch prayed for death, this time, for it would surely be better than what he had in store for her._

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Draco watched as Hermione froze, her fathomless, dark brown eyes staring into space. As a healer, he realized she was having a severe panic attack and at risk of passing out. She seemed to be suffering a form of PTSD, as well. Her quiet chanting of, "not again, not again, not again." confirmed his suspicions. She wasn't seeing Draco , she was seeing _him._

Draco approached her quickly and enveloped the distraught witch in his arms. Her body was rigid and her deep brown pools stared, unseeing. He kept murmuring to her, "Hermione, it's me, you're safe. You're safe. Breathe for me, love. Breathe. You're going to hyperventilate." He lowered her to the floor, worried she would pass out and hit her head. He held hermione's paled and clammy face in his hands, trying to urge her dead stare into one of recognition.

Then the screaming started. Blood curdling and sickening. He realized she was screaming "Alohomora" over and over again. The wizard held her tighter trying to bring her back to him. "Hermione, please, please love. " He had never witnessed such a heart wrenching and all-consuming panic attack. Draco itched to give her a calming and sleeping draught, but was hesitant to have the witch ingest more potions. Harry always said how much she hated being incapacitated in the Hospital wing at Hogwarts, and he didn't want to drug her as a prisoner.

Finally her breathing calmed, whatever vision she was having must've run its course. He saw her eyes start rolling back in her head. Draco moved her into his arms, her head on his shoulder, and brought her back to the bed he'd set up for her. He was now grateful his mother insisted on decorating the guest room when he moved in.

She looked pained even after she fainted, her brow creased and mouth grimaced in her unconsciousness. Draco shook with shock and rage. Her breathing finally changed to deep breaths, and he knew from training that her body was recuperating from the shock and panic through more sleep. He decided to try legilimens on her in this state, hoping her defenses would be down and he could catch a glimpse at her captor.

"_Legilimens" _he muttered, immediately seeing into her mind. He sifted through memories of two muggles with a small bushy haired daughter, who's toys and books floated in the room around her. Another memory of her in a bathroom with a giant troll, and Harry Potter and Weasel helping her to safety. He quickly moved past the war memories and then hit a hazy wall. He could feel the dark magic present in the haze and moved out of her mind. Lupin would have to look, and Draco didn't want to do anything more without her consent.

Draco gazed longingly at the small witch; the brown curls he craved to run his fingers through fanned out around her face like a halo. Very un-Malfoy like, Draco twitched and twisted his fingers together, fidgeting in place to keep himself from gently touching the love of his life's face. He sighed to himself and sat down in an upholstery chair near her bed.

If they could see in her mind, maybe they could get around what he was pretty sure was her taking an Unbreakable Vow, more like being forced into one. As if on cue, he heard the floo activate, and the two ex-marauders stepped in. Sirius gasped and fell at Hermione's bedside, ready to shower her with fatherly love.

Draco instead cleared his throat to get their attention, and motioned to the door, leading them outside of the room to explain the events of the day, and their next plan of action.

o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o

When Hermione woke up again, the room was bathed in a tranquil evening light. A standing lamp in the corner was on and Hermione was grateful for the calming, dim light it emitted. She always preferred lamp light to the glaring overhead light, especially the bright jarring fluorescent bulb that Ron had strung up in the middle of the basement. Her only source of light - bright, ugly, and concentrated in one spot - leaving the rest of the dirty basement in darkness.

She shook off the memories and took in her surroundings once more. She was most likely at Draco Malfoy's residence. The comfortable bed she lay in was well endowed with fluffy pillows and soft silky light grayish-blue sheets. She was tucked under a massively puffy down comforter that was covered by a tasteful soft gray duvet. The bed frame held a canopy where sheer gray curtains were pulled back. Hermione laughed hollowly - as a child she'd always wanted a canopy bed to pretend she was like one of the princesses she read about in fairy tales. Now, wherever and whatever she had gotten herself into provided her a canopy bed, but Hermione knew she was nowhere close to being in a fairy tale.

Based on the neutral color scheme, Hermione surmised she was in a guest room of sorts. The walls were a calming, darker bluish gray. Under the tall window to her right was an antique vanity. There were three doors in the room, Hermione wondered which one was the bathroom. However, she did a double take at the open door in the front of the room...unlocked and _open._ _A trap?_

She noticed there were two cream colored bedside tables on either side of the queen-sized bed frame. Still weak and cautious, Hermione reached for the bedside lamp. During her perusal, the sun continued to sink below the skyline and she was having trouble seeing. As the soft light added to the room, a sheet of parchment caught her eye. Her name was written in tall, slanted and neat handwriting. She picked up the note and read: 

_Hermione, _

_You are in my flat. You are not a prisoner. I am truly sorry for locking you in earlier, you had a panic attack and what I think was a flashback/hallucination. Sirius, Remus, and I are waiting for you to wake up. I am sorry, but I must keep your wand until Harry arrives. He is coming as soon as possible. Dinner is waiting in the kitchen, as is some Peppermint tea. I know it's your favorite. _

_I know you probably think I am no better than whoever it was that hurt you, but I beg your forgiveness. I did it for Harry. He's not the same without you, and you were going to run again, which would not only hurt him, but everyone else, me included. I've become rather fond of 'our' friendship._

_Let us help you. Come out and we can explain what we know. No one is in danger here, this is a closed off residence. Only Harry, myself, Remus and Sirius can apparate or floo in. _

_Also, I took your glamour off. Laurie was pretty, but I missed the curls._

_Yours,_

_Draco Malfoy_

Hermione read through the letter three times, looking for hints of malintent or danger. She calmed considerably at the small list of people allowed into his flat. Hermione sighed, she had questions and they had answers. The curly haired witch blushed at the last line of Malfoy's letter. Had he perhaps known of her identity the whole time? She tried to fight the feelings of trust and comfort she began to associate with being around him, but she couldn't find it in herself to equate Draco's actions with Ron's.

This new Malfoy had shown her his change. He'd helped her multiple times already, and not laid a vicious hand to hurt her or keep her from getting away. Also, if Sirius was here and not beating down the door to save her, she knew the hot tempered animagus must have some faith in his Malfoy relative.

After reasoning with herself, Hermione couldn't deny the fact that she wanted to see everyone. Even the Draco Malfoy who'd charmed and befriended her in her new life. Gingerly, the brave witch stepped out of what she'd mentally dubbed, "the storm cloud", with its greys and blues and overall feathery, downy feel, and onto the soft navy rug taking up most of the room.

The open door beckoned to her and she padded barefoot to the doorway, only to stop when a small house elf appeared in front of her with a "pop". Hermione gasped and then held back a smile at the adorable creature with bulbous eyes and a wide smile. The small house elf was wearing a bright pink tutu over what looked like a little girl's lime green dress. Her small elf hairs were put in pigtails that stood almost straight up.

"Hello, Miss! I was just coming to check on missus Hermie." The little elf jittered. Hermione grimaced at the nickname, but smiled kindly at the elf.

"Oh Miss Hermie's clothes are all rumpled, that won't do." Before Hermione could respond, the little elf snapped her fingers and Hermione was changed into emerald green silk pajamas. The pajama pants were the perfect length and warmth, and the long sleeve button up shirt had her initials in the corner. On her feet were two black slippers that felt like they were made special for her small feet.

"Uhm that's very kind of you…"

"Prissy, Miss. My name is Prissy" The elf grinned, a grin Hermione would maybe consider mischievous, if she knew this odd creature better. Prissy now held a pile of Hermione's rumpled jeans and sweater.

"Yes, Prissy. That's very kind, but I don't plan on staying long, and I don't want to intrude and.." Hermione was flustered and didn't know how to feel about the pajamas and her surroundings.

"Oh, but I made these special for you, Miss Hermie. Master Draco has a set too! When Master Draco said you was here, I just had to make you a gift. You are very famous among my kind, missy Hermie. Also, Master Draco pays us and gives Prissy vacation. I is going to the Bahamas this summer." The bold elf winked and then disappeared Hermione's clothes before grabbing her hand and leading her out to the living room.

Low, murmuring voices could be heard as Hermione rounded the corner with the elf. The voice's stopped when the elf cleared her throat. The three wizards turned towards the sound and immediately stood up to face the new addition to the room.

Time seemed to freeze as she took in the sight of two important and cherished people from her previous life. Remus and Sirius were standing near one couch, and Draco Malfoy who was now studying her relaxed appearance with a small smile, stood near another by the fire place. Hermione blushed and opened her mouth, unsure of how to break the silence. Sirius beat her to it, leaping over the couch and rushing to her until he picked up the surprised witch and spun her in the air before crushing her into his embrace.

Hermione melted into his arms, letting the tears fall as he stroked her hair and mumbled over and over, "Thank Godric, Merlin, it's really you, I've missed you...little love." His scruff rubbed against her cheek before he set her on the ground, still holding her by the shoulders, inspecting her.

"This little ferret didn't hurt you, did he?" Sirius asked dangerously, but also with a hint of bemusement. Harry recently clued him in on what he suspected was Draco long time infatuation with their Hermione.

"Um, no. I'm afraid any damage today was emotional and probably of my own accord." Hermione said quietly and smiling softly up at Sirius. Draco's shoulders relaxed minutely, he still wanted to talk with her about his actions, but it could wait.

Sirius grinned and pulled her into his embrace again. Another presence moved to the reunited pair and Hermione looked up into the kind eyes of Remus Lupin. Always the more reserved of the Marauders, unless it was the full moon, he smiled gently down his ex student and pulled her into a quick, tight hug.

"Uhm...sorry about last night." Hermione blushed shyly, tears of happiness still running down her face. She sniffed and Remus openly laughed.

"You're a quick one, always have been." Remus chuckled, " If it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have taken into account my heightened senses so quickly and I would've had you." He growled playfully like a wolf and Hermione couldn't stop the grin she sported.

Hermione stepped away from the Marauders and noticed Draco keeping his distance. Hermione approached him hestiatnly, blushing.

His eyebrows rose into the air when he realized she was willingly approaching him.

"Hi," she said quietly

"Hello there." he said just as quietly, but visibly anxious.

Hermione stuck her hand out, "I'm Hermione Granger. Friend of Laurie Lindsey. I believe you two have met?"

Draco's anxious face fell into a dazzling smile that took Hermione's breath away. He held her hand, but pulled her gently to him, hugging her small frame. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable he stepped back. "I'm sorry. I never want to hurt you or scare you. Can we um..Can we talk later? I'd like to explain and apologize." His face was pleading and Hermione felt her heart jump - a feeling she was getting more frequently around this wizard.

"Sure. I think I understand why, with Harry and what not, but I really want to know how." Hermione frowned turned around to the other two wizards, "How all of you know…" They all nodded to the witch, relieved to see her calm and even a little bossy. " I actually have many questions." Hermione began pacing, mentally tallying every question she had.

The three wizards grinned at each other, all thinking similar things. Their little bookworm had returned, and if they had anything to do about it, she wasn't going anywhere for quite a long time.

The rush of the floo broke their reverie, and Draco knew it could only be one other person. Hermione gasped at the sound and turned around, momentarily concerned and frightened. Still a few meters away from the fireplace, she was ready to make a run for it, instead, the world around her faded away as she met shining green eyes.

"_Harry"_ she breathed

"_Hermione." _choked out the boy-who-lived.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**A/N: I FINISHED MY FIRST YEAR OF GRAD SCHOOOL! And now I can be a better updater! This story was on my mind every day for the past month adn I could hardly find the time to write down something worthwhile and good enough to give you guys! I hope this is satisfactory and that everyone loved it! I had to stop here or else the chapter would be incredibly long.**

**BIG THINGS HAPPENING IN CHAPTER 10...BIG THINGS! Thank you so much for all the reviews and support. I can't wait to dedicate more time to this story.**

**Also, whoever is following my other story, "Stay", I am almost done with that chapter as well and will not keep you waiting much longer!**

**Thank you to all of these reviewers from Chapter 8:**

**Rebelsaurus29 - **things are about to get clear for everyone!

** . - **he'll get over it soon ;)

**eliza6801 - **yes! I loved this review - Hermione is not weak - just in a delicate place when it comes to her enemy! Ron always was good at chess and strategy

**marianna79 - **he's getting there!

**Nimueiswriting - **hope you liked it!

**pianomouse - **glad you like it! Im trying to get their relationship right. Post-war (alive) Sirius can go so many ways!

**CGinny- **thank you so much!

**Malibu Baybreeze- **Thank you! Hopefully they don't have to start at square one again (haha they wont)

**jamcreynolds- **Thank you! Glad you understand - and I think after talking to Harry and the crew, Hermione will too.

**ladymagna1100 - **and I am even more evil for making you wait so long :/ Forgive me?

**Cat130 - **thank you!

**bakaneko7 - **hope this feeds your addiction!

**SmileSimplify - **thanks for your review! Unfortuneately the answer to your quesiton will be answered in Ch. 10 &amp; 11\. However, we all get tired of running, dont we? ;) Thanks for reading!

**CheshyreGrin- **Yes they have! Hope you like the chapter!

**NicebutNaughtyAngel- **Thank you for that review! I agree with you about JKR's version, but its always a little fun to tweak. I'm glad you like my version though :) Hope this chapter was informational - things will start to progress pretty quick now!

**tjw242 - **We've got some reactions - but once the shock wears down, things will explode and more! Thank you for your amazing reactions :D

**babynora1983 - **I wont make you wait so long again! Glad you took a chance on me!

**NellieeBelle92 - **thank you so much! I hope you like this addition

**4everanime - **yes! dramione comin soon! Ron doesn't know yet - but he will!

**StarGirlPotter- **thank you! Im glad you followed!

**Kittyinaz - **tough cookie! And he will sharpen up - but it he's also in love *sigh* and I think you're right about the Weasley Twins. Don't worry they'll show up soon!

**AllWasWell07 - **Hope you like it!


	10. Run Ins & Reunions

**I own nothing - Harry Potter &amp; Co. belongs to JKR**

**Chapter 10: Run Ins &amp; Reunions**

**November 14, 2001 (earlier that day)**

Ron looked over his shoulder once more as he waited in the early morning sun shining murkily through Knockturn Alley. Chekonovic was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago, and Ron needed to get out of the sketchy place before someone credible took notice. He held the dark artifact he nicked from the Auror's office that once belonged to Chekonovic's family before the war.

Ron had dozens of small grade dark wizards at his bidding, a network, if you will. The dark wizards smart enough not to take the brand, but to still benefit from the Dark Lord's reign and remain under the radar from Auror's. These wizards and witches were now Ron's eyes and ears throughout the wizarding world. They helped do his dirty work, and he kept them out of Auror's hands, bribing them with gold and confiscated dark objects, the best of which he kept for himself.

Hermione had been his own project, not many of those in the underground knew about his captive during those 18 months, but a few did, especially when he was looking for cursed objects and dark spells to liven things up a little for his mudblood in the basement.

Ron knew he wasn't in charge of this dark underground, no one was, but he thrived from the mutual benefits of working with those below the law, those with no morals, greed, and some like Ron — a lust for power. Most recently, Michael Corner, a Ministry worker and Hogwarts grad, was sniffing around where he didn't belong and into Ron's affairs. The former ravenclaw caught him smuggling cursed artifacts from the evidence room. Ron tried to bribe him, and was surprised when the bloke didn't take the bait.

The next morning, before Corner could begin an investigation and raise people's suspicions about one third of the Golden Trio, the Ravenclaw came down with a fatal case of spattergroit, it immediately took to his lungs and windpipe, killing him before the Healer's at St. Mungo's could get a proper look. Of course, it wasn't actually spattergroit, but Ron didn't ask Broderick the details, he just paid off the assassin and went on his way.

A flash of light a couple meters away, broke Ron from his thoughts and he stalked over to the fowl wizard. "What the bloody hell took you so long, I'm a bleedin Auror for Merlin's sake. Have you gone completely daft?" Ron snarled at Chekonovic. It was already almost 8am, Diagon Alley was starting to wake up.

"Keep your robes on, I've got all of your information —do you have what you promised me?" The wizard spoke in a deep, scratchy, Russian accent. Ron nodded and held up the small sphere.

"Right, well the Malfoy spawn is set to see the witch you saw him with two days ago, this afternoon. The witch works at a bookshop in Muggle london, but is definitely a witch. Last night she was in Diagon Alley at Flourish and Blotts. With some convincing," at the word "convincing" the tall, thin wizard winked at Ron who rolled his eyes and made a motion for him to continue, not wanting to hear what curses the man used, "with some convincing, the shop owner told me the little witch was buying books on potions and healing salves, for _dark_ curses, you see. And listen to this, before I talked to the shop owner, the witch came bursting out of the store, I mean, she was really running, Weasley. And guess who was chasing her? The werewolf in the Order. Lupin." Chekonovic was motioning wildly

Ron's eyes narrowed in suspicion. This witch seemed to know a lot of the Order...and buying books on potions and healing salves. Surely it's not..._the mudblood is dead, I saw it…_ then again.._if she wasn't dead, Harry would be coming after me...not as if she can tell anyway. If that bint is alive..._Ron shivered in anticipation, he loved new games.

Chekonovic was waiting for Ron to fill in the blanks for him, nosy as hell. Ron just scowled, "that's useless information, you old fool. Take your family heirloom, it only works on mudbloods though." Ron added with a grin.

"But what about the girl? Do you want me to keep-"

"Ron?"

Ron cursed under his breath as he heard the voice of his best friend calling him. _Bugger, this looks bad._ "Get out of here you old fool, before you give me cause to arrest you. I better not find you trying to sell anything else out here! You know the Auror's are keeping an eye on Knockturn." Ron yelled at Chekonovic, loud enough for Harry to hear. "I'll owl you - leave the girl to me, follow Malfoy. Now _go." _Ron hissed before he turned to meet Harry at the entrance to Diagon Alley from Knockturn.

As Ron approached him, Harry reviewed the past few moments. He'd been coming from breakfast with Ginny and James, their usual Wednesday, mid week breakfast outing in public, usually early enough to avoid reporters. Harry parted from his family, thinking with anticipation about Malfoy's lunch with Hermione today.

A flash of red hair drew his attention to the entrance of Knockturn Alley. _Ron?_ Harry, following his instincts, kept quiet and moved off to where he was sure Ron couldn't see him. His best friend looked irritated and was pacing back and forth. _Why is he in Knockturn Alley? _It didn't look to Harry like Ron was patrolling or enforcing the law. Harry's eyes narrowed as a tall, thin wizard approached Ron, the wizard looked suspicious and rough. He was surprised when Ron seemed familiar with the bloke. Ron handed over a small circular object from his pocket and Harry's eyes widened. _Was Ron the one stealing from the evidence room?_ He noticed the wizard gave Ron nothing in return, but whatever it was the dark wizard told him, made Ron unhappy.

Too confused and unsettled to watch more, and interested to see Ron's reaction, Harry made himself known. Immediately Ron's face transformed into the wizard he saw every day at work. Harry heard him tell the wizard off, but The boy who lived wasn't so easily swayed. The Ron Weasley coming towards him had no trace of the dark and angry looks the other man was receiving. Harry was almost fooled again, _this is Ron Weasley, my best friend and brother in law…_ Harry looked for signs of guilt and anxiety and saw none. This should have eased the doubt suspicion Harry unfamiliarly harbored toward his best friend, but instead it did not...it didn't change the fact that Ron had been in some sort of deal with someone in Knockturn Alley, and now looked completely guiltless.

"Hey mate, what're you doing out so early." Ron questioned, a disarming smile present on his face. No trace of doubt or awkwardness lingered in his stance.

"Oh. Uhm you know me, Gin, and Jamie get breakfast Wednesday mornings in Diagon Alley." Harry said, walking along next to his friend, but sneaking looks at him.

"Uh, Ron? What were you doing in Knockturn? You don't have Auror's robes on either?" Harry asked, looking straight ahead but stealing another glance at his friend. Harry finally caught a flash of an angry, cold, and dark expression flit across Ron's face, transforming him into a hardened wizard Harry had never seen, but it was gone as soon as Ron turned to catch Harry's eyes.

"Was trying to do some undercover work...which you kind of blew, mate. It's ok though, I didn't get much." Ron pointed self deprecatingly to his hair"...most people recognize a Weasley."

Harry laughed along with his friend, he hoped it didn't sound as forced as it was. The raven haired wizard stopped near the ministry apparition point. "Well...I'm going to head into my shift...I'll see you later, then?" Harry asked, keeping his friendly mask.

Ron, without missing a beat, nodded and fist bumped his friend like old times, before turning and strolling down the street. Harry watched him go, wishing his instincts would be wrong for once. Ron didn't give anything away, no indicator that he was guilty, dark, or involved in some sketchy side project, whatever it may be, but Harry had seen a flash of something different, something unsettling, and he couldn't get it off his mind.

Harry was floored when he came to an unwelcome conclusion, he couldn't deny who and what he'd seen; _Ron Weasley was a liar...and an almost flawless one, at that. _Harry apparated to the Ministry, lost in thought and trying to decide how to disprove his theories about Ron and whatever he had gotten himself into in Knockturn. He quietly arranged for a jr. Auror, James Sutherland, to report to him on Ron's whereabouts, keeping this mission top secret and for Auror security purposes.

Maybe it was just some gambling or something Harry could easily help him with. _or maybe it's something far, far worse_ a quiet voice rang in his head...remembering his revelation the night before about one of their trusted friends being dangerous...the reason Hermione was running. Harry felt sick and stopped his train of thought. _Surely not...no. _ Ron may be in some trouble...but he had loved Hermione..._didn't he?_

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**November 14, 2001 (present - early evening)**

_The rush of the floo broke their reverie, and Draco knew it could only be one other person. Hermione gasped at the sound and turned around, momentarily concerned and frightened. Still a few meters away from the fireplace, she was ready to make a run for it, instead, the world around her faded away as she met shining green eyes._

"_Harry" she breathed_

"_Hermione." choked out the boy-who-lived._

Hermione stood frozen to the spot, not sure how Harry felt about her deceit, but wanting nothing more than to hug her brother. Always on the same wavelength, Harry ran forward, embracing her fully. Hermione went slack in his arms, her own coming around his waist and grasping tightly. It was then the dam broke, and sobs racked her body. Seeing Harry before, as Laurie, she'd been able to keep it together, but now - actually being in his embrace, so close to finally feeling safe and protected, she let go.

"Im so sorry, Mi, I'm so sorry sis. I should've saved you." Harry was hugging her tightly and whispering in her ear. Hermione just cried harder, cried for Harry, for herself, for putting them all in danger, and for knowing she would have to leave again.

"H-Harry. I-I'm sorry. Y-you c-cant. Y-you all have to go, I'm not safe, you're all in danger." She sputtered through her cries. Harry moved her over to the couch, sitting them down, and cradling her to his chest. He stroked her hair gently like he knew she liked, from the days they mourned after the war. He nodded to Sirius, Remus and Draco, silently asking for a few minutes alone. The two Marauders left, but Draco looked hesitant before he followed the older wizards out.

Once Hermione's cries quieted momentarily, she lifted her head up to look into his bright green eyes. She almost lost it again, but the emotional strain was exhausting, and she was afraid she would end up back in bed already.

"H-Harry. I can't tell you what happened." she muttered quietly, looking down at her hands, ashamed.

"I know Mi. Well, Draco suspected. Since the day in the hospital, we considered it a huge possibility. Remus and Draco are working on something though, that will let us extract some clear memories without hurting you." Harry said reassuringly. He felt Hermione trying to pull back

"We'll talk about it all later, everyone here wants to help, Hermione. I know you think you are putting me, us, in danger, but we can take care of you and each other. I'm not - I _can't, _lose you again. " Harry hugged her to his chest as tight as he thought her small body could take..

"H-Harry, _please._" Hermione pleaded, temporarily losing her fight. She hadn't felt this comfortable or safe in _so _long. The only other person she had begun to relax around was Malfoy...the thought in itself caused Hermione to pause and save those emotions to examine later.

Harry rubbed her back, trying to quiet her objections, "just stay, for now. Until we can talk more."

The two sat for a few more moments, Hermione breathing in her best friend's familiar scent —broom polish, cedar, and citrus.

"Harry, I'm sorry. "

"Hermione, don't you dare -" Harry began

"I'm sorry for faking my death, for putting you and all of our loved ones through another funeral, not long after the war. I-It was selfish, but I didn't see another way. I _don't_ see another way. Hermione Granger had to die." Hermione was looking not at, but through Harry, haunted.

"uh well, Mi. It was hard, at first, but we -uh Draco actually figured out your little stunt in the autopsy room. There was a discrepancy on the body" Harry looked uncomfortable, " a-uh discrepancy he noticed when he first examined you. Something you forgot to put on the glamour for the death eater. He swore me to an unbreakable to not tell anyone, so we set the wards at the funeral to allow you in. We knew you were Laurie Lindsey from the first time Draco spoke with you, but you got away before we could stop you again. The next couple weeks, we went to every bookstore we could find, before we found yours." Harry admitted.

"Oh, of course, and so Draco's, I mean, Malfoy's _interest_ in me, was all an act then. I guess that makes more sense anyway. I mean he seems to be pretty involved and helpful in this whole thing. You two seem to be good friends and he obviously wanted to help you out, even if it meant suffering through bringing me lunch and seemingly wanting a friendship or more or i don't know." Hermione trailed off embarrassed, berating herself for letting her heart flutter around the charming blonde.

Harry chuckled and Hermione scowled at his apparent amusement for her rambling, "Hermione, I can't speak for Draco, but as good of a friend as he is to me, he seems to have his own motivations in this fiasco. He's been helping me look for you for a long time, and it was his insistence that no one know about you. He's very protective of you, and I don't think its just him being a great friend to me." He laughed again at Hermione's blush.

Desperately wanting to change the subject, "wait - you said discrepancy. What did I miss? "

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but a throat cleared in the doorway. Both turned in their seat to see Draco with a sheepish smile, holding a teacup and saucer. "Sorry to interrupt, the werewolf and dog heard you stop crying, and as your resident healer, I'd really like to have Hermione drink some tea, and get some food into her stomach. Emotional exhaustion can be surprisingly tough on the body and—"

Harry chuckled quietly, "Come on in — I think we can open this up to the group now, right, Hermione? Remus, Sirius —I know you are waiting too, go ahead and bring in Hermione's dinner while you're at it." Hermione nodded quietly, she was secretly impressed at how much Harry had continued to grow in his leadership skills and confidence

Draco came in and knelt next to where Hermione was curled into Harry. His grey eyes watched her carefully as he handed the tea. Hermione, remembering the letter she awoke to, blushed prettily and accepted, their hands lightly brushing each other as he handed it off.

"I really am sorry, Hermione." Draco said quietly, still crouched in front of her, his elbows resting gently on her knees.

"It's alright, Draco. But don't think you can just knock me out everytime you don't get your way." She replied teasingly, " I thought you weren't supposed to be a prat anymore. I will hex you next time you try something like that on me again, I won't be so forgiving. I promise." Draco nodded, heeding her warning, but also knowing deep down, he'd do whatever it took to keep her out of trouble, he'd let her hate him, knowing it would keep her safe and alive in the end.

Draco patted her knees again, and moved away to give the pair some space. Draco sat in the comfy chair his mother insisted he buy, while Sirius moved eagerly back to Hermione with a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup? lightly clanging on a tray. Draco thought how strange, yet endearing it was to see this little family before his very eyes. Sirius, Harry, and Hermione - not related by blood, but in sync and full of love. Draco knew what Hermione's disappearance did to Harry, but to see it reflected in the ex-Azkaban inmate was overwhelming.

Remus gave Draco an understanding look, smiling softly for his best friend. They watched as Harry moved to make room for Sirius on the couch, having Hermione squished comfortably between them. Prissy popped in, causing Hermione to jump and Harry and Draco to chuckle, as she tutted over Hermione, tucking a blanket around her silk green pajamas.

"Nice threads, by the way." Harry said plucking one silk sleeve up and dropping it. He looked pointedly at Draco, probably for the color. The blonde wizard smiled inwardly, Hermione looked lovely in his house colors, but in reality, he put his hands up, "All Prissy! I can't help the little elf matched our pajamas! You can ask her to make you some, but I can't guarantee they'd be red, Potter. I also thinks she adores Hermione." Draco chuckled as all heads turned back to the elf who was trying to spoon feed a sputtering curly haired witch.

"Prissy, as much as Miss Granger loves your help, I have to ask you to let her feed herself. Also, remember you are supposed to speak of her presence to no one, under any circumstance." Draco reprimanded the adorable house elf seriously

The reminder of Hermione's appearance, brought everyone out of their temporary playfulness and back to business. Hermione set her soup down, smiling gratefully at Draco for his help.

"Right, uhm before you came in, I was asking Harry about the discrepancy on the body…" she looked over at Malfoy questioningly. Draco suddenly looked sick, remembering the beaten and bloody state she'd arrived in that day at the hospital, but he recovered quickly, "the uh- scar." Draco pointed to his stomach, as an indicator. "I noticed it the first day in the hospital, and it wasn't on the body, so I checked for a glamour. That's how I knew, and I told Harry." Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, knowing the hideous reminder that lie just beneath the thin silk.

Sirius growled low in his throat, Harry and Draco had filled them in on everything.

"and I" Remus recovered the conversation, "well - I came back to Grimmauld with your cloak last night - I was going to wait until Harry left to confide in Sirius, but he recognized the cloak, how you'd copied it to look like the one he got you for Christmas. He called Draco over and they made us take the oath, too. " Remus smiled encouragingly at Hermione.

"s-so you're the only four wizards who know? No one else?" She asked quietly. To which they all nodded their heads.

Hermione cursed inwardly, she couldn't believe she'd not glamoured the scar on her cadaver.

"Thank you. Thank you for keeping my secret." Hermione said meaningfully " But you don't know what you are dealing with. It really is safer if I disappear again. I wanted to keep an eye on Harry, Ginny and James, on all of you really, but now that you know — it's more of a danger than when I was just keeping up from afar." Hermione was trying to convince herself as much as the wizards around her. She hadn't felt so safe and warm in so long. Not even in her little muggle bookshop.

Harry pulled her back to him, his eyes flashing anger. Hermione flinched away, but cursed herself when she saw the sadness cover Harry's face. " Mione, I would never hurt you, I'm not angry at you, darling. I'm angry that I don't know the bastard who did this. I'm angry you were obviously tortured for 18 months and I couldn't save you." Harry ranted and Hermione tried to calm him.

He felt a stronger hand on his shoulder and noticed Sirius had reached out to him, "Harry, we all want revenge and Hermione safe, but you can't let guilt and anger control you. We've got to be smart about this. I know something about guilt, anger, and revenge, and it can make you reckless, son. " Sirius spoke, watching Harry calm and Remus nod out of the corner of his eyes.

"Well what will you have me do then?" Hermione asked, growing tired under the emotional strain from the day, the warmth of the blankets, and the comfort provided by Harry and Sirius.

"You want a plan, but I can't help!" Hermione's voice was shrill, "It's useless to keep me around. And I can't just stay with you all, I think people would notice if I just came back from the dead, and I refuse to return because then you will be in danger!" Hermione was breathing faster, struggling with the warning, but not enough to trigger part of the unbreakable. "I c-can't return yet. I'm terrified." She whispered the last part, the confession breaking every wizard in the room.

"Hermione, I think you should stay here, with Draco. If we keep visiting and guarding you at the bookshop, someone is bound to take notice." Harry tried convincing, his mind unbiddingly flashed to Ron in Knockturn Alley, he shook away the unsettling thoughts his subconscious had thrown at him.

"He's right Hermione." Remus spoke up, " His floo access is restricted to just us and Zabini and Mrs. Malfoy, the latter two who are restricted as of now, and it doesn't seem odd that so few people can visit him, Malfoy is known to be private and a workaholic. No offense." Remus nodded at the blonde, who just smirked and nodded back.

Hermione tried to protest, " Just stay a few days at first, Granger. Let us help you, you're safe here." Draco spoke up. "Also, Lupin and I are working on something for you. I tried Legilimens on you when you were asleep," Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, " I just wanted to try, I didn't pry into anything personal, I promise. Anyway, the memories of your captivity were surrounded by a dark haze. Remus and I, and you as well if you'd like, are researching how to get passed this wall. We think it's a curse, and if it's a curse, it can hopefully be broken, enough to let us see clearly, and keep your vow intact." Draco swallowed as he watched Hermione process the information.

"Fine, I will stay, for now. But only under a few conditions." Hermione tried to stop her trembling, still worried her decision was putting her loved ones in danger.

" I want my wand." Hermione looked at each wizard who nodded in agreement

" And I want Tonks, Teddy, Ginny, and James to move into Hogwarts. The safest place I know. " _and the furthest from Ron, he wouldn't go near another textbook if he could help it._

Remus stated, "done. Dora and I have been discussing living there permanently throughout the school year, less travel and more time with my family. " Remus smiled encouragingly at hermione. She turned expectantly to Harry, who was staring at her incredulously.

"Hermione, how am I supposed to do that? I'm an Auror, not a professor? Can't I just move them into the Burrow? They'll be safe at Molly's. In fact, they are there now for dinner with Ron and the twins."

Hermione stilled at hearing his name come so freely from Harry's mouth. _Ron was with his family...he doesn't know, he doesn't know. _she repeated the mantra to convince herself he hadn't taken his family hostage to torture in order to punish her for escape. As far fetched as it sounded, she wouldn't put it passed him, but even there, it was four against one. Harry's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"Hermione? Are you listening?" Harry was saying. Draco, noticed the look on Hermione's face, she was on the verge of panic. He stood and walked closer to her — the pieces coming together. The look on her face matched the one from the rooftop earlier when he brought up the Weasel being angry about his friendship with Harry. _No fucking way._

Harry and Hermione didn't notice his movement, but Harry asked again, "why can't they stay at the Burrow, Hermione? The Burrow was an Order house, it's safe! " Hermione looked at Harry slowly, her chocolate eyes pleading, but her mouth silent. She tried to form words but couldn't, a warning, the truth, an explanation — but nothing came out. She felt a pair of invisible hands start to slowly squeeze her throat.

Remus and Sirius watched the scene closely, becoming increasingly worried about Hermione.

"It's him, isn't it?" Draco whispered fiercely.

Harry and Hermione jumped at Draco's proximity. Draco realized the vow was already working against her as she tried to explain the danger of the Burrow.

"It's who?" Harry asked, becoming irritated

"Wake up, Harry!" Draco almost bellowed, disbelieving, anger suddenly coursing through his veins. " We knew it was someone in the Order, someone close to you. It's fucking him! It's the Weasel." Draco was shouting at Harry, who's green eyes dawned with disbelief and some realization.

"You're mental! Ron, has a temper, but he wouldn't do this!" Harry thundered, not wanting to believe it, but seeing the flash of cold calculation in Ron's eyes from the morning.

"HERMIONE!" Sirius was yelling.

Both wizards, who were standing face to face, nose to nose, turned to the sound; Remus was huddled over Hermione whose brown eyes were wide, unseeing. Her body was shaking and she was sputtering and gasping for air. Harry threw himself over his best friend, grabbing her forearms and shaking her desperately.

"Hermione! Hermione! It's not Ron, is it? It can't be! Ron? Did Ron do this to you?" Harry was bordering hysterical, but as he looked into Hermione's pleading brown eyes and spasming body, he knew.

Harry let out a cry of anguish, hugging Hermione close, too distraught to think clearly.

"Lupin! We have to do something! She's being cursed, can't you bloody tell?! She can't breath!" Draco yelled as pushed Harry off, who was immediately restrained by Sirius. Sirius was speechless, trying to keep his temper for himself and his family. If that little redheaded fucker really did this, he was much more cunning than anyone ever thought, Harry couldn't just go off into the night and kill the bastard, not when he was with Ginny and james.

Hermione's body was convulsing as invisible hands wrapped tighter around her neck. Hermione thrashed, hoping Remus would realize it wasn't the vow, but the first trigger. Ron had set up a few "insurance policies" for lack of a better word, to stop Hermione from getting around the vow itself. One being the dark haze on her memories, and another was obviously triggered from someone asking her, instead of her telling. The spell was old and very dark, easily disguised, and one the counter curse was hard to find and even harder to perform.

She saw Draco and Remus looking down at her, running their wands over her body, trying to identify what was happening.

Harry watched her, screaming and shouting from Sirius' hold. Sirius finally binded his godson, to keep him from leaving, but felt like silencing him was too harsh for the man at this moment.

"Hermione! No! Save her! Stop this!" Harry started sobbing, Sirius was holding him tight, as they saw Hermione's lips turn blue and dark fingerprint bruises start to appear around her throat.

"Save her!" Harry yelled into Sirius' chest.

Draco wanted to silence his best friend, but thought better. His mind mentally scoured the various healing books, and then the dark arts texts from the Malfoy library. This wasn't the unbreakable Vow, or Hermione would have merely dropped dead. This was a curse. He watched in horror as her lips turned blue, but when the fingerprint bruises showed up on her neck, Draco almost shouted in joy.

He knew the countercurse.

The curse was hard to identify, until it was almost too late, but it had been one of Lucius' favorite modes of punishment.

Draco lifted his wand and shouted the countercurse, "_tenebris dimissus!" _The room stilled, and all was silent as they awaited the result of Draco's spell.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N: Hope you like it! Sorry for the cliffy, but I want to get this out asap! Next chap is filled with excitement as well as some more explanations! Thank you so much for all of the reviews, I now can respond to them personally instead of on here, so I hope you all like that! Please let me know how you felt about this chapter- I LOVE your reviews! Dramione stuff coming soon! They'll be roomies :) **

**Also - I dont know all the aspects of an Unbreakable Vow - so I am adjusting things to my story etc. So don't burn me for it please :)! Hope you all have a great week! Thanks for reading! **

**Also these reviewers I couldn't respond to, but thanks! **

**Dragonflame- Thanks for the review! I couldnt respond via PM, but I appreciate your nice words! :)**

**Guest - Thank you so much!**


	11. Cappuccino Mornings

**I don't own anything to do with Harry &amp; Co. **

**A/N: Sorry everyone! I know I said I would release this last week, but it was short and felt like I was cheating you, so I held onto it a little bit longer and added some :)! (My ADD was pretty bad this week haha)**

_He watched in horror as her lips turned blue, but when the fingerprint bruises showed up on her neck, Draco almost shouted in joy. _

_He knew the countercurse. _

_The curse was hard to identify, until it was almost too late, but it had been one of Lucius' favorite modes of punishment._

_Draco lifted his wand and shouted the countercurse, "tenebris dimissus!" The room stilled, and all was silent as they awaited the result of Draco's spell._

**CH. 11 : Cappuccino Mornings**

**November 14, 2001 **

Draco hissed at the three other wizards in the room to move back, giving him and the witch some space. The silence was deafening as they waited to hear Hermione's intake of breath. Outside, under the dark blues and purples of dusk, an owl could be heard hooting nearby.

Draco hovered over the rigid witch after what seemed like eternity since he'd bellowed the countercurse, but was truly seconds, the fingerprints on her neck lightened, and the blood rushed back to her cheeks. All at once, her whiskey eyes shot open and she gasped, sucking in as much oxygen as she could.

Her torso shot into a sitting position, and Hermione grabbed onto Draco's forearms for balance, causing his still poised Hawthorn wand to clamber loudly away on the wood floors. Wide silver eyes, shining with relief, met disoriented brown. Hermione couldn't believe she was alive. She was sure Ron's curse was going to finish her off. Without thinking, Hermione willingly threw herself into Draco's chest, burrowing her face into his neck. She was surprised to find his pulse beating quickly, and a glisten of sweat against her cheek. His worry and adrenaline must've been as high as hers, and everyone else's in the room.

Hermione felt draco's arms tighten around her, and his shoulders slump, cocooning her in his embrace. She noted in her dizzy haze that it should have been odd or uncomfortable, but instead all she thought of was the Draco she had come to know. The one who was a family friend of the Potter's, who saved her when her magic was out, who brought lunch to the Morrington's just that afternoon, and who saved her once again from Ron's magical hold over her body.

At the thought of Ron, Hermione stilled and pushed away from Draco, looking up hurriedly and meeting the blonde's now worried expression. Malfoy didn't think he'd ever felt more at home than when the little witch launched herself into his arms, and even nestled into his neck, her skin against his. The smell of jasmine and strawberries surrounded his senses, covering them like a warm blanket on a cold rainy day.

Hermione held his eyes a moment longer, before turning around awkwardly from their position on the floor. She realized she was basically in Draco Malfoy's lap, but given her body's short stint without air, her muscles were weak, and she was too warm and comfortable to scramble away from her current savior, so instead she just turned, keeping her back barely touching to Malfoy's chest. She leaned forward, sitting cross-legged and looked at the other wizards in the room. Hermione breathed in once more to clear her head, _they all know now_, or had a pretty good idea.

At that moment, her decisions were solidified. She was in this with them, she would fight. The idea that Ron still had so much control over her body, woke up a fury in her that had been lost beneath her fear and longing to hide and run. The fury awoke as she fought for her last gulps of breath, indignant that he, _Ron Weasley_, could leave curses behind that kept her trapped in his grasp. She would change that, and she would be free of him.

"Merlin...that was close. I've just decided, that will be the last time _he_ ever has control over my mind or body. Period. I-I think I'm done doing this on my own." Hermione began, speaking as steadily and confidently as she could.

She noticed the four wizards around her let out a collective breath, different emotions playing on each face. Harry still looked anguished, Sirius - proud and determined, and Remus thoughtful, as if he was already perusing the extensive Hogwarts library on the shelves in his mind. Hermione couldn't see Draco's face, but she was okay with that, for she was drawing her comfort from the warmth of his solid chest and his arms moving up and down her covered ones, soothing her screaming muscles. She'd initially jumped at his touch, but then relaxed - this man didn't want to hurt her, and there were three others who would kill for her in the very room, if he did.

"I stick by my conditions though...Remus and Harry. I-No one else will get hurt because of me...not after" Hermione gulped and Harry moved closer, hanging on her every word. "Harry - he - my parents. He killed them." Hermione struggled to steady her breathing, slightly nervous as to what degree Ron cursed her. Her brilliant mind was whirling with possibilities, coming to the conclusion that since Draco broke the first curse, she could speak more freely about events surrounding her captor, but she was careful not to push it. The true key would be to break through the hazy wall guarding her memories from others.

Draco's arms tightened around her comfortingly as Harry paced the room.

"What's our plan?" Harry's raw magic and emotion was causing lights to flicker and objects to shake around him

"Harry, you need to calm down, son." Sirius tried.

"NOW is not the time to be calm! I will _CALM_ down when that traitor is rotting in the ground." Harry was seething, and Hermione, reacting instinctively shrunk back into the mold of Draco's chest. Noticing this movement, Harry stopped and crouched down on the floor, next to her.

"Mi, I'm sorry. Please don't be afraid of me, I would never hurt you. I saw something today, this morning with Ron, and I believe you. Merlin, it's hard and it hurts, but he - he's never been to me what you have." Harry was pleading, and holding tightly to Hermione's hands. She sniffed in her tears and threw her arms around Harry's neck. Draco huffed inwardly, not ready to ever let the witch out of his arms.

Remus chuckled at the scene, Draco had become a staple in the Potter's lives, but watching his slight scowl was humorous, it was no secret to anyone with eyes how the wizard felt about Hermione. They all watched his longing and hurt as he spent months helping Harry and looking through memories for clues. It seemed like Hermione was beginning to trust him as well, their souls seemed at peace next to one another, even after such tragedy.

Remus, who had the most control over his present emotions, brought their conversation back on course. "Hermione, this will be hard for you, but we want to help. We need, as much as you can give us without pushing the vow, information and evidence. Harry - can you get Ron into custody tomorrow - under some other charge maybe? We can't have him knowing we are onto him about Hermione, or he may destroy evidence or even find out that she is alive." Remus' direct, calming voice set everyone into action.

" I suspect he is the one stealing dark objects from the evidence room." Harry volunteered, sadly, still in awe of the betrayal. " I have someone trailing him already" Harry felt Hermione nodding against his shoulder and realized she was nodding in affirmation.

Harry's insides clenched, understanding that Hermione was most likely a victim of these objects. He felt the guilt begin to weigh in. How could he have been so oblivious?

Hermione, intune after years as Harry's confidant , read the pained emotions on his face, " Harry, promise me you won't blame yourself. He-He's not to be underestimated! He's fooled everyone. He fooled me." She spoke quietly and fervently. "He is not the side kick anymore, Harry. He knows what he's doing and has been getting better at it over time." One of Hermione's hands was hovering over her stomach, the other gripping Harry's hand tightly.

"Now is not the time to blame yourself. Let's just get this over with so we can be free." Hermione pleaded to Harry and then to everyone in the room.

Hermione tried to volunteer knowledge of evidence of her captivity, but felt a stab of pain. When she stopped trying to offer up information, the pain went away. She shuddered when she realized it was the bounds of the Vow, the curse and promise that held her life by a thread. The wizards noticed, as they were bound by a Vow, one which had now been fulfilled. Draco's conditions were, "To not reveal Hermione Granger's whereabouts until her captor is realized." Being too busy trying to save Hermione, the wizards didn't have time to realize they were no longer bound by Draco's unbreakable Vow.

"She's trying to help, but can't offer it up freely." Sirius realized. "Are you talking about evidence, Mione?" Sirius addressed her. Hermione nodded fervently, making motions as if she were pulling memories from her brain.

To her left Draco, questioned, "Weasel has a pensieve?" Hermione turned to him, eyes wide with a shining smile. Draco felt like he'd won the lottery, and Sirius stifled a laugh at the hope and pride in the blonde's eyes. Hermione whirled back around and shot a glare at the Marauder who just winked back in return.

Harry scowled, "but where is his pensieve, Hermione?"

Remus spoke up, "Well its probably in his office or back at their cottage." Hermione paled at the mention of _their _cottage. "Bugger, Auror's never even searched their cottage for her, did they?" Draco asked in awe.

Harry swallowed, "No...we didn't. Hermione - were you- were you there the whole time?" Harry asked choking on his words.

Folding in on herself, Hermione nodded, all that was visible to the wizards was her halo of brown curls. "In the ba-" Hermione's throat closed around the word basement, so she just pointed downward. "It was warded though, I'm fairly sure. Not like I could get out anyway, bastard drained my m-magic." Her words were muffled as she spoke to the ground.

"However, the object we're talking about is not there, it's in the auror department." The witch looked pointedly to Remus, indicating it was in fact in Rob's office."

Remus nodded and stepped in, to take the pressure off of Hermione, "That's all you should need right, Harry? Arrest Ron in the morning on grounds of theft and corruption, and then move the Auror's in to search his office and home. We can keep Hermione's survival quiet until then. An extra layer of protection. Tonight we will move the families to Hogwarts, or another safe house with a Fidelus Charm to which Ron doesn't have access to. Even though our Unbreakable is severed, don't tell the Weasley's until Ron has been arrested. Molly means well, but a mother's love is strong."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Harry sighed before checking his watch. "Ginny and James should be home. Let's move them soon. Okay?" Harry looked to Remus for confirmation.

Hermione, emotionally and physically exhausted, crawled back onto a couch, resting her back against the cushions. A pop of apparition announced the funny little house elf, Prissy.

"Shame on you wizards, Miss Hermie is exhausted, Missus can hardly keep her eyes open." Sirius had to hold his hand to his mouth to keep from laughing at the indignant house elf. Hermione tried to resist the elf's insistence that she get back in bed, but her eyes were heavy and when she opened them again, dark grey invaded her vision, Draco was leaning over her.

"Go to bed, Hermione. There's a sleeping draught on the bedside table to help you get through the night. I know you probably aren't comfortable here yet, so Sirius is staying behind to and we are taking shifts until morning. Harry and Remus are going to take care of their families protection." Draco's voice was low and soothing, Hermione smiled softly, nodding her head. She reached her hand out, seeing harry and Sirius off to the side, and both came to her and squeezed her hand.

"Please be safe, Harry. I can't wait to meet little James." She said dreamily, hermione didn't realize this was the first time she allowed herself to hope she would meet her nephew. Harry and Sirius kissed her forehead and let the little house elf escort Hermione to the guest room. Before disappearing around the corner, Hermione stopped and turned around.

"Thank you." She said softly," It's hard for me to believe you would all put so much at risk for me...I - uhm - well its hard to understand why I'm worth it." Hermione put her hand up before they could protest or help her self esteem - she wasn't fishing for compliments.

"All I mean is, for so long, I was told I wasn't worth it, and I was worried for so long before I 'disappeared' that I would lose you all because of my shortcomings, but I don't think that's so true anymore." She smiled softly and left before anyone else could speak.

"I'm going to fucking murder that Weasel." Draco growled.

"You're gonna have to wait in line." Harry said in a deadly voice as he and Remus opened the floo and called back for Grimmauld Place.

"Well, Draco Malfoy. Looks like it's you and I." Sirius smiled knowingly at his relative. "You want first or second watch?" the animagus offered

Draco opened his mouth to say second, but Sirius cut him off, " You take second, but we are going to have a little talk about your feelings and intentions for our Hermione, here."

The Slytherin smirked at the former Azkaban prisoner, Sirius thought he could make him uncomfortable, but if it was one thing he knew, it was how he felt about Hermione. Draco matched Sirius' relaxed position, leaned back with one foot settled on his knee. With a flick of his wrist, he poured them both a tumbler of firewhiskey before he motioned to Sirius for a cheers.

"Well, my canine...friend?" Draco chuckled, unsure of their relationship, " I intend to have her fall in love with me, and if I can get her to love me even a fraction of what I do her, I'll be the happiest bloke in England…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hermione awoke in the soft morning light with a slight weight on her feet. She smiled softly when she saw Padfoot curled up on the far end of her bed, sleeping quietly. It was an action reminiscent of the first month after the war, when her, Harry and Sirius relied on each other as a family outside of the Weasleys. Sirius would sometimes curl up in his animagus form, and be near his little pack, reminding himself they all made it through the tough times.

Hermione quietly extricated herself from the giant, fluffy down comforter and slipped her feet into the slippers from the night before. She frowned to herself when she noticed she still hadn't received her wand back. Instead of running out into the living room, Hermione took a deep steadying breath, fighting to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't alone anymore, not in the slightest.

Hermione padded to the connecting bathroom, splashing water on her face and grinning when she saw a newly packaged toothbrush and toothpaste. _Harry must've told Malfoy that I like to clean my teeth the muggle way_.The daughter of dentists, Hermione brushed happily, counting to herself for the allotted time to spend on each tooth. Once she was finished, Hermione looked in the mirror, for once, not in a hurry to put her disguise back on.

She was happy she put on a little weight since her escape, but noted she was still thinner than she was even after the war. "Time, healing takes time." Hermione whispered to herself before turning on her heel and heading out of the bathroom. The curly haired witch patted Padfoot's ears to wake him up. "Sirius, why don't you change back and catch a few more hours rest?" Hermione spoke softly, "Should've known Malfoy had a taste for luxury, these pillows are like clouds!"

Sirius transformed and muttered groggily before swatting the witch away and tunneling into the layers of blankets. "Still a bloody morning person, I see." Was all he grumbled before his soft snores began again. Hermione laughed, thrilled at the normalcy of being around her family. The cheerful witch went to get caught up on what happened over night, the morning silliness wearing off already, as the planning and logical side of her personality woke up, ready to take control again.

The kitchen was bright and happy, shining with natural light. Hermione made her way into the empty room and sat on a bar stool, fingers itching for some parchment to make notes and plans. It was already almost 6:30am! She needed to get back to the Dusty Shelf, and the Morrington's were probably worried or angry she left so suddenly. She needed to talk to Harry and Remus and see if the family was safe!

"I can practically hear your mind at work, Hermione." A velvety voice snapped her out of the mental list she was concocting. She whirled around in her stool, trying hard not to let her eyes linger on the fine specimen before her. Draco Malfoy was practically shining in the bright light of the kitchen, his pale hair, messy from running his fingers through it all night. He'd traded shifts with Sirius around 4 a.m.

Hermione's eyes wandered to the low slung silk pajama bottoms that matched hers, and his muscled chest was lightly outlined in what looked like the softest white cotton v-neck.

"I - uh" Hermione blushed, how could she even be looking at a man after all that's been done to her by Ron? Wasn't she damaged? Shouldn't she be afraid? Hermione knew, logically that not all men were like Ron, but he'd consumed her life for so long it was difficult to be free, like she deserved. But who would want her, even when she did get past her anxieties and fears of being with a man?

The witch tamped down the dark path her thoughts were taking and met Draco's eyes. He cleared his throat and looked away, worried he was caught studying her too intensely**. **Recovering quickly, Draco moved into the kitchen, confidently, "Can I get you some coffee? Tea? I actually make a wicked cappuccino...Harry says it's the best in London." Draco grinned smugly, " I never go to coffee shops anymore." he was rambling as he gathered the moved around the kitchen.

Draco turned around once more to see if he was impressing his witch like he thought he was, but instead of being met with the glossy, adoring eyes he was so used to seeing from every other witch in London, he was met with a suspicious glare. He relaxed momentarily when he glare turned into a smirk.

"So, Malfoy...why were you really in my favorite coffee shop then?" Hermione asked, and realized she, _she _was actually flirting, and she had the upper hand. Seeing Malfoy strut around his kitchen bragging was actually comical, but then she wondered, _was Malfoy trying to impress me?_ She had to stop herself from giggling out loud when his smirk faltered.

"Hermione, "

"So are you a liar? Are _your_ cappuccinos really the best and you never need to go elsewhere to satisfy your coffee bean cravings? Or are they actually pants? Why _else _would you be in that coffee shop, Draco?" She had a playful smile, and Draco couldn't care less that she caught him waiting for her in that coffee shop, he was just happy she said his name, and didn't appear completely averse to his advances."

"You are a cheeky witch, do you know that?" Draco joked, "If you must know, I was waiting around for you. I had to know you were okay, and I may have been trying to ask you out. All of which I did quite successfully, I might add." Draco finished with a shameless grin.

Hermione sputtered momentarily at his frankness, unused to such compliments, she dodged his flattery, "No wonder you were _Witch Weekly's_ most Eligible Wizard, you are a smooth talker Mr. Malfoy." Hermione blushed slightly, a sight Draco would never tire of, " I think you were there for the perfect cappuccino that Alice makes, no one in London beats hers."

Draco finished working with his wand and moved closer to where Hermione was perched on the barstool. Though it was difficult, Draco kept an appropriate distance between the two of them as he handed Hermione a dark green mug filled with foamy cappuccino.

"Prove me wrong then, love." Draco's voice lilted, but his eyes held hers unwaveringly.

Hermione took a sip from the caramel colored liquid and couldn't help the moan she emitted as the perfect cappuccino graced her taste buds. Draco watched, transfixed as her little pink tongue came out and licked the liquid resting on her lips. When she opened her eyes, she blushed deep red at the noises she'd made. Draco noticed a small bit of foam on her nose and stepped towards the witch.

"Was I lying, Hermione?" Draco's voice was deeper and quieter as he moved closer, almost between her legs as she sat on the stool. Hermione watched him, transfixed by the swirling emotions in his eyes. She shook her head slightly. Draco leaned down slowly to face his witch eye to eye, praying to Salazar she wouldn't shy away from him.

"No, I wasn't lying, was I? So I _was _in the coffee shop for _you_, Hermione." Draco smiled when her eyes widened in surprise, but not fear. He slowly reached out to her, and swiped the little blob of foam from her nose.

She didn't flinch.

His heart soared.

Draco brought his thumb back to his mouth and licked the small amount of foam off his thumb, holding in a groan as he realized the coffee mixed with the taste of her skin. It was delicious.

Hermione breathed shakily, how could this wizard make her feel anticipation, happiness, and even _lust_ in such a short time. His intensity was almost stifling, but instead of running scared, it made her want to arch her body toward him, and see if the passion in his gaze could be put successfully into action.

"Oi can I get a cappuccino, Malfoy?" A gruff voice came from around the corner of the kitchen. Hermione shook her head, clearing the haze Draco Malfoy induced and turned towards the voice. Sirius entered the kitchen rubbing his eyes and placing a kiss on Hermione's cheek. "Bloody best thing I've ever tasted, I drank three last night." Sirius barked

Draco, grateful their intense moment was interrupted, as he wanted nothing more than to taste all of Hermione's skin, just smirked at Hermione, "Told ya, sweetheart. Best in London."

**A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! Next up is the arrest (?) of Ron Weasley! And more Dramione action! This story is NOT almost over… so be patient with me and with our revenge on Ron Weasley! Thanks to everyone for their AMAZING reviews - i love them so much and tried to respond to everyone I could PM back. Reviewers get to cuddle with Draco! ;)**

**Lana Lee1 had a great question in her review, and I hope my answer will clear up some questions about Ron's personality!** LanaLee1 -"I'm also curious. Was Ron cursed or is he really such a monster? I believe he really is a monster; however I'm not sure. The network of dark wizards is really what convinced me he is."

Ron was not necessarily cursed, but in the earlier chapter it talks about how wearing the Horcrux in DH brought out his inner jealousy, hunger for power, and etc. So yes, I think he is a monster, but the question on weather he would ever act on it was answered when he was influenced by the pull of Dark Magic! I hope that answers your question!

**Also here are my responses to other reviews I couldn't reply via PM:**

prdemering - Thank you so much, that makes me so happy. I try really hard to make Draco not OOC, but still interesting and complex. So that makes me happy that you like it :)

Dragonflame- thank you so much!

Guest- yes you're right! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

JAS1861 - Thank you!


	12. Ministry Mauling

**I own nothing:**

**Ch.12: Ministry Mauling**

Same morning November 15, 2001: Ministry

The voice in his head he vaguely remembered as his own freewill rejoiced at Harry Potter's request. _I can finally be free! _It shouted as his arms robotically handed over the arrest and search warrant for Ron Weasley and his office for stealing dark artifacts. The savior of the wizarding world leveled him with a serious look, "MacMillian, this is confidential. No one outside of my team of Aurors knows about this. Speak to no one until the arrest had been executed"

Ernie nodded his head, "Got it, Potter." As soon as Potter left his office to assemble his team and move in on the arrest, the wretched curse he'd been fighting for too many months, took over. His inner voice, so faint and weak after months of the Imperious, cried and tried to fight against the actions his limbs were currently following. He pulled out the coin, copied from the ones the brilliant Hermione Granger used in 5th year, only the coin in his hand had only been used for corruption and deceit.

Try as he might, his imperiused body communicated this message to the castor, "warrant out. Potter there soon". He waited, his actions completely under control of Ronald Weasley and his addled mind pleading for freedom when he got a response. "Come to office, now. Beat Potter here."

Macmillan took off at a sprint to the Auror offices. As soon as he entered Ron's office a flash of red light hit him square in the chest, and all went black.

o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Draco liked to think he'd matured considerably in the past three years since the war and Hogwarts, but he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of smug amusement on behalf of his late godfather when Hermione put a collar and leash on a whining Padfoot.

Hermione, now glamoured as Laurie, shot him a look warning him to behave, but Draco swore he saw a hint of amusement in her coffee brown eyes as well. He loved that she chose to send a look his way, even if it was for the purposes of reprimanding. _Lovesick fool. _Despite the bit of entertainment he absorbed from his cousin on a leash, Draco tried once more to keep his witch stationary for at least another day.

"Come on, Granger. This is ridiculous, you don't need to go back to work today. Harry and Lupin haven't even returned yet, and we don't know what happened with the Weasel."

Draco shivered slightly at her soft hand on his forearm, her big brown eyes looked into his determinedly, "I feel more safe than I have in months, Draco. I've agreed to not do this alone, but you can't keep me here like a princess in a tower. I'll have Sirius with me, and you are coming for lunch. If something goes wrong, I'll make my apologies to the Morrington's and return here quickly. I finally have support, and can finally start to live my life, please, don't stop me from that."

Draco could do nothing but nod, hypnotized by her her touch and scent. He wanted to beg her to stay and live her life with him, but he wouldn't trap her literally or metaphorically, especially when she was just gaining her freedom and fire back. He sighed and placed a hand on top of hers, internally cheering when her pale cheeks blushed at their contact.

"I know, you're right - even though I still don't like it." He picked his hand up and wished for her curls so he could place one behind her ear. Instead, his finger lightly traced down her cheek, reveling in the fact that she didn't flinch away from him.

"I-we just got you back though...so just be careful and constant vigilance or whatever." The glamoured witch leaned in slightly to the wizard's gentle caress. Her eyes moved from his to his lips and back again. Their bodies moved slowly, closer together, until the leash in her hand started pulling her toward the door. Draco scowled as the spell was broken, the damn impatient and nosy dog pulled away.

Hermione laughed at Sirius' impetuousness while inside her heart fluttered at the moment she shared with Draco Malfoy. Moments that seemed to be coming around more often now.

"I hope you get fleas" Draco muttered only quiet enough for Padfoot to hear. Draco didn't know dogs could smirk until that very moment.

With one last fleeting look, Hermione and Padfoot disappeared through the floo and Draco sighed. He had to work at St. Mungo's that morning. He swapped shifts with Healer Patil, so he would only have to be away from Hermione for a few hours. His coworkers were surprised to say the least, as Draco Malfoy often worked overtime and never took any vacation.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hermione stifled a giggle as Mavis continued to sneak little bits of the pastries she bought for breakfast to Padfoot. She shouldn't have been surprised that Sirius charmed the older lady so quickly.

Peter and Mavis had greeted her at the door with worried looks on their faces. She reassured them that everything was okay, and that she was sorry for skipping out on work. Mavis had merely patted her on the shoulder and inquired about her "adorable" puppy. After that Sirius followed the little old lady around getting scratches behind the ear and delicious treats.

"So, your date with Blondie went...well?" Peter asked feigning nonchalance. Hermione blushed, thinking about her morning with Draco and the plethora of confusing thoughts that accompanied her growing feelings. "Draco has been very sweet, Peter. He's coming by again for lunch."

"You don't think that's a little much, Laurie? You just saw him yesterday and it seems like you stayed there last night." Peter mentioned sullenly, stacking books angrily.

Hermione's shoulders slumped with hurt and she clenched her fists in anger at his insinuations, "Peter, not that it's _any_ of your business, but I-I enjoy being with Draco. He makes me feel _safe_. " She didn't realize the words were true until she said them.

"And, I didn't _sleep_ with him last night," she hissed, "He introduced me to some of his friends and I drank some alcohol, so he insisted I sleep in his guest room. Peter, you're supposed to be my friend, but if you're harboring feelings for me and are going to get possessive and jealous I really can't —"

Hermione knew she was rambling and her voice was getting shrill. Peter felt guilty and angry at himself for upsetting the fragile girl.

He reached out and touched her shoulder, interrupting her rant. "Laurie, I'm sorry. I'm not being a good friend to you, old maid. I was just worried and don't want you to get hurt again, you are getting so strong and I-I when you came here - I don't want to see you like that again." Peter's face was pained and Hermione instantly felt bad for scolding him.

She squeezed the hand on her shoulder and offered him a tentative smile. "Peter, let's just drop this. I'm okay, and I have people around me now, including you and Mavis, who make me feel safe and strong again. I appreciate you looking out for me Peter, you and Mavis' friendship and care mean so much to me."

On cue, Padfoot came sauntering around the corner and whined looking from Peter to Hermione. Hermione welcomed the distraction and knelt down to give Padfoot a good scratch behind the ears. Just then, Padfoot started growling menacingly. Hermione moved away from the dog and he bolted out of the door, sniffing the perimeter of the shop.

Hermione felt a jolt of fear when Padfoot came back in, looking anxiously at the clock. It was almost time for lunch, and Hermione was relieved Draco would be here to calm her nerves. After his outburst, Padfoot stayed glued to Hermione's side as she moved around the shop and worked in and out of the aisles.

Thirty minutes later, the bell above the door rang and Hermione relaxed instantly upon seeing the flash of silver blond hair. Mavis greeted the tall wizard at the door with a grandmotherly kiss on the cheek. Hermione's heart fluttered when Draco's face broke into a grin upon seeing her safe and happy.

She moved closer to him, drawn in by his presence and the comfort she began to associate with him, but Padfoot beat her to it, gripping his hand lightly by the teeth and pulling him back out the door. Hermione laughed nervously at the confused looks on Mavis and Peter's face.

"Uhm Snuffles, he - well Draco has been caring for him and they go on a lot of walks. I guess he saw Draco and thought it was time for some exercise. I'm just going to take lunch, and go with them." Hermione waved before Peter could follow or ask any questions. She stepped out into the cold gusty air, immediately cursing that she forgot her coat. Hermione looked side to side and couldn't see Draco or Sirius. A prickle of unease slithered down her spine and her instincts had her walking quickly down the street.

As she passed the alleyway right next to the shop, a pale hand reached out and pulled her from the street. She yelped in fear, but calmed considerably when she met familiar grey eyes. "Sorry, Sherlock. Didn't mean to scare you." Draco chuckled at her wide eyes, "Yes, I read muggle literature and know exactly where you got your little fake death plot from. Only wish I had realized it sooner."

Hermione blushed at her closeness and was surprised at her own delight that he read muggle literature. Sirius, now human, cleared his throat.

"I don't feel good about you being here, kitten. I got a strong whiff of dark magic, and I think someone has taken an interest in Laurie Lindsey." Sirius looked anxious

"I didn't smell Ron, as he should be in questioning with Harry, but it was someone foul. They apparated when they heard me coming, but I think we should leave. I'll place some protections on the muggles, but it's time for you to call it a day." It was a rarity to see Sirius use such a stern, fatherly tone.

Hermione made to protest, but he cut her off, "You promised, 'Mi. It was the stipulations that we came up with when you insisted you come back here as Laurie. I would feel better if we waited at Malfoy's for Harry to give us the 'ok' , so once we know you are in safe waters."

Hermione pouted, but wanted to make her family happy, and keep her new muggle friends safe, and out of dark waters. In the end, Hermione tearfully told Mavis and Peter that she needed some time off to sort out her personal affairs, and that she would be staying with Draco and Harry. Peter was hesitant to let her go, but she assured him she was safe and it was necessary. Mavis gave her a loving hug and told her that her room would always be open, and that they expected her back at work in no time.

Wiping the tears of frustration from her eyes, Hermione went back to the alley to apparate away with Sirius and Draco. Hermione undid her glamour and was prepared to stalk to 'her' room childishly when she ran smack into Harry, who'd just come running out of her room.

"Oh thank Godric." He breathed and embraced her tightly. Hermione immediately hugged him back, emotional from her frazzled nerves.

" I was just about to come get you from the shop. Malfoy seal the floo again. Wait, why are you home? Did he show up? Does he know?" Harry eyes were wild and his hair was disheveled from his constant tugging on it, a nervous habit he never kicked.

Hermione shuddered, knowing something was terribly wrong.

"Sirius smelled someone, someone dark. He felt uncomfortable and like maybe Laurie was being watched, so _they_ made me come home and take time off." Hermione said, feeling like her frustration was becoming less justified. Draco rolled his eyes at Harry who tried to hold in a smirk, Hermione never enjoyed being told what to do.

"That was very smart of them, sis. I-we-something is very wrong and you need to stay here." Harry sat Hermione down on the sofa. "Ron...he fooled us, and he got away. However, we found a Pensieve in his office and it is in my custody. We believe there may be some Auror's or employees leaking information to Ron, voluntarily or involuntarily, so the evidence is being kept by me, Neville, and our most trusted partners."

Hermione began shaking, "How did he escape? What happened today, harry?" She noticed then how exhausted Harry looked.

Draco and Sirius stood idly in the corner, fists clenched at their sides and looking every bit of menacing as their Black family heritage was known for. Harry sent them a wary look then focused back on Hermione's worried brown irises.

"I ordered the warrant to search his office and arrest him for suspicion of stealing dark objects. I made sure to make this a quick and private matter. When I got to Ron's office an hour later with Neville and Nott, the door was locked, but only with an alohamora. So we barged in and Ron was sitting in his chair, wand pointed at us. I yelled at him to drop his wand, but he kept it trained on Neville. I didn't notice his blank stare, I was too angry, Hermione. We saw Ron begin to mouth the killing curse, and Auror protocol and instinct is ingrained to us during training. When someone is cursing to kill, you don't take a chance whether it's in a civilian atmosphere or being performed on an Auror, you aim to kill, Hermione." Harry was looking increasingly distraught and Hermione was further confused, she knew Harry rambled like this when he was working out guilt, shame, and frustration.

She placed her small hand on his arm, pleading him to continue.

"Nott's instincts reacted quicker than Neville and I, despite what I know Ron did. I hesitated a second longer than Nott. Nott fired the killing curse to save Neville. I-Hermione I was relieved, I finally had your torturer, our betrayer, dead. He was like our Pettigrew and I was glad our rat was out of our lives, and you could be free again. I only felt the guilt at what was to come for the Weasley family" Harry murmured.

Nott secured the body and I ran diagnostic spells on his office, revealing his hidden space for the Pensieve. It all happened in about ten minutes. I shrank and pocketed the Pensieve and thats when Nott started yelling for me, he was standing next to the body. Ron's face was contorting, and soon, so was his body. Within thirty seconds, we were confronted with Ernie MacMillian's blank dead stare." Harry paused and shuddered at the memory.

"We found one of the DA galleons in his pocket, he had been communicating with Ron that way. After some preliminary diagnostic spells, we deduced he'd been under an Imperius curse for at least 6 months. Hermione, Ron h-he made an innocent person, aim to kill us, so that we would finish off his own evidence for him. I-How could I have not seen this before? I feel like I've let so many people down, who knows what else he is responsible for?"

Harry's anguished face fell as the sting of anger gave way once more to guilt and betrayal. Hermione held his head to her chest and gently scratched up and down his back cooing calming words into his ear. The poor man always blamed himself.

Harry suddenly wrenched himself away from Hermione, to which she flinched back from her friend. "You shouldn't be comforting me, Hermione. Not you. You've been hurt by this, and you can't just tell me its _okay?!_ What is wrong with you?!" Harry's temper was flaring, looking for a way to cope. Hermione curled into herself, instinct recently ingrained in her to stay away from a temper. She missed the days when she would stand tall and yell back.

Sirius decided to step in, he knew his godson would never hurt Hermione, but he had James' famous temper and he would rant and rage until it was out of his system.

"Harry, son. Calm yourself down. Hermione has always been a nurturer and you cannot tell her when she can and cannot offer comfort. This is not your fault, Harry. You acted within protocol. This is Ron's fault, no one else's, and you aren't going to catch him if you wallow here in self-hate." Sirius sternly grabbed him by the shoulders, bringing him back to present.

"Where is the rest of your team?" Draco inquired

Harry shook his temper off, immediately moving back to Hermione and gathering her into his arms, apologizing for scaring her. Hermione took a second to melt back into her best friend and brother, she hated that she was still so easily rattled.

"Nott and Longbottom are moving the rest of the Weasley's to a safe house. Molly is going barmy." Harry sighed fiddling with something in his pocket. "I have to go look at the Pensieve. Hermione, I think we should keep your existence quiet still, we don't know where Ron is and you could obviously still be a target, based on what happened at the book shop today.

Harry's jaw clenched and unclenched as he reigned in his temper. "We shouldn't have been walking in and out of there so freely, Malfoy."

"Nothing we can do now, Potter. Except keep our witch safe." Draco commented quietly, Hermione flushed at the sentiment and figured it a slip up. Sirius' eyes flashed towards Draco who pointedly ignored it.

Harry stood up to go reconvene with his team, to act fast. "So the Wizarding World is about to know Ronald weasley is wanted for the use of an Unforgivable and the Murder of Ernie MacMillian, as well as the use and sale of dark artifacts. We will leave your name out as long as we can, Hermione." Harry already looked exhausted and she squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"Neville is going to examine the Pensieve with me. So he will know. I just don't think I can do it alone. I'll come back tonight after I've checked on Ginny and James." Harry said as way of exiting.

Sirius walked him to the floo. Hermione sat, letting the newest events sink in. They hadn't caught Ron. Someone was suspicious of Laurie. She couldn't work. Harry was about to look in the Pensieve. Harry would most likely see her raped, beaten and worthless.

The after effects of prolonged Cruciatus Curse still bothered her when panic set in, and she felt tremors begin to rack her body. Somewhere deep in her brain, Hermione was glad she'd held it together until Harry left. She heard Draco's voice calling to her, and she looked right into his deep grey eyes. He was suddenly in her face, his arms secured around her and his calming scent surrounded her senses.

She eventually felt the panic fade away and was able to feel the softness of his shirt beneath her cheek, and the hand in her hair, soothing her. His words became clearer as her cooed at her, "Shh, love. I've got you. He won't get you ever again, you're safe here, little dove." Draco rocked her back and forth and she took in a shuddering breath. Her looked up with watery eyes and met his face.

"T-thanks. I'm sorry for being so...so unstable. I hate this new part of me." Hermione admitted quietly.

Draco scoffed, "Little dove, I'd be worried if you weren't a little emotional. Most witches would be permanently in st. Mungo's. You are so strong, love. And I mean true strength, not that ridiculous brash courage and adrenaline you Gryffindor's get high off of." Draco scoffed sounding like his Slytherin self.

Hermione chuckled quietly, thankful for the pull back to reality. This Draco Malfoy may be partial to her, but he still had his sarcasm and arrogance to boot.

"You silly snake, that brash courage and adrenaline helped Harry beat you in Quidditch all those years." Hermione smirked, her eyes still a bit watery, but mood raised.

Draco scowled and lightly tickled Hermione's sides. Choosing not to recognize her dig, he jokingly raised his nose in the air, " Malfoy's are not silly, Miss Granger."

Hermione just smiled, taking in the wizard in front of her. She struggled accepting his obvious affection, who would want someone like her, scarred, scared, and used?

Draco watched the emotion flit across her face, he'd made her smile and now she looked troubled again, not meeting his eyes, Before he could ask, Sirius reentered the room, eyeing Malfoy's arms still around his adopted daughter. "Everything okay here?"

Draco opened his mouth to answer, but Hermione beat him to it, sitting up and disentangling herself from his arms.

"I - uh had a panic attack and Draco helped me." Hermione admitted sheepishly. "I'm quite exhausted now, and I think I am going to take a nap and then look into some research on my scars." Hermione smiled at the thought of researching for the first time in almost two years.

"thanks Draco, for uhm - for helping me. See you, Sirius." Hermione quickly left the room and went to lay in her pillowy cloud-like bed. She was slightly confused as to how she felt twice as warm and comfortable in Draco's arms than she did in the monstrosity of a guest bed she was burrowed so snugly in.

**A/N:** **IM SORRY FOR MY ABSENCE! I will not leave you all for so long again, I have been working on other unpublished story ideas that I couldn't get out of my head, and just had some writers block. I know some of you will be frustrated that Ron got away, but we will see what he's up to a little next chapter. Also some of the Pensieve AND more Dramione. If we caught Ron now, the story would be over, and what's the fun of that! Thank you so much to all the new followers and reviewers! I think I answered most of them :) Let me know what you think of this chapter! Its sort of transition/building Dramione. Happy Thursday! - wbm92 **


	13. Suspicions

**Chapter 13: Suspicions **

**Saturday November 17, 2001. Two days later **

For the upteenth time since he'd gone into hiding two days ago, Ron thought about the information his contact left him with. THe information about the small brunette witch who worked at a muggle bookshop. The witch who garnered the constant presence of a large black dog and a Malfoy. The witch who'd been seen with Potter and Malfoy at Hermione Granger's funeral.

Ron hated the feeling that he was missing something, it reminded him of the years at Hogwarts constantly following Hermione and Harry, asking questions and remaining one step behind. Was it merely a coincidence that once this witch turned up, Harry started to regard him with more suspicion...and even go so far as to figure out some of this lesser interactions with Dark Magic?

Hermione couldn't have told anyone in her short time away from him before she jumped to her death, _rifght?_ Hermione was dead. _right?_ _But then how did Harry know to start questioning my loyalty...yet she was under a vow...but the stupid mudblood was smart enough to find a way around it. He'd seen her dead body though, yet...part of him still felt the pull of the Unbreakable he put under her...like it was being threatened. _

There was something about this new witch that was a threat to him. Her sudden appearance, Padfoot's hovering..Sirius had always been protective of Hermione, and if he didn't know better he would think...but it couldn't be? could it?

Ron stopped his pacing. He would need to make a trip to Muggle London, himself. He cursed, he'd never been good at making polyjuice potion, but some simple wand work should do the trick - to at least not be recognized outside of the wizarding world. A malicious smile graced his greasy, pale face. He was going to visit a pretty little witch on Monday.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_It was hot, too hot. Hermione could feel the sweat pooling underneath her on the cot. Sometimes, Ron enjoyed turning the furnace all the way up, so as to force Hermione to take off her clothes and cool down. Hermione, being the stubborn witch that she was, never gave in, ultimately making Ronald angry...and then...she shuddered, knowing today would be a bad one. _

_Hermione tried to swallow, but her throat was so dry. She coughed, a shallow - hollow cough. Lying stock still in her cot, the small witch tried to trick her mind into thinking she was in the cool Scottish Highlands, near the Black Lake with Harry, her brother. Her mind was so hazy that she almost believed it, smiling to herself as she got lost in the hallucination. Hermione's tranquil slip from sanity was ruined when the door burst open, and Ron came strutting down the stairs, smirking at her._

_She tried to ignore him, show him he wasn't going to break her. The next thing she felt was a harsh grip pulling the hair on her scalp and throwing her to the ground. _

"_Are you thirsty, my sweet?" Ron cooed in her ear. Hermione refused to answer, and tried to wriggle away. _

"_I know what you can do for some water" the vile creature smirked, "suck my cock and you'll even get some nutrients too." Ron laughed and started unzipping his pants. _

_Hermione merely smiled up at her captor and licked her teeth threateningly, "Oh no you don't, you bitch. You don't think I'd forget about last time. I know we love our little rough and tumble game where you fight against me, and I put you in your place, but I've had a long day and Id like you to be more...complacent, tonight." _

_Hermione's eyes went wide, "No, Ron. Please! Just let me go...this-stop. Don't take away my will, my mind." Her voice was hoarse. Ron delighted in her weakness._

"_If you would stop fighting me, we wouldn't have to mess with that big brain of yours. Imperio." _

_Hermione whimpered, feeling the foreign presence in her mind. 'Undress yourself and then undress me. Do a sweet little strip tease for me, like the slut you are." _

_Hermione fought against it, but was ultimately too weak. Small tears leaked out of the side of her eyes as she undressed and made her way to her captor. _

'_kneel and take my cock in your mouth' the command was strong and she couldn't fight it. The strong hand in her hair was pushing her head back and forth has Ronald Weasley roughly pushed his member in and out. The silent tears continued streaming down her face until he shot his load deep in her throat. _

_Hermione was thrown back away from him, the curse lifting. She spat on the floor, but he'd already made her swallow it. _

_Ron's eyes flashed at her action. "You ungrateful bitch. I hope you weren't expecting any water from me after that ungrateful display." He slapped her across the cheek and started making his way up the stairs. _

"_No. Please! I-I won't make it Ron! I need water. PLEASE!" hermione felt herself getting desperate and she clung onto his robes. She was thrown off of him as he laughed, his stale breath right in her face. "You should've thought of that before you tried to spit out my gift...my sweet." _

_He left as she whimpered and pleaded, her throat was so dry and she felt herself losing consciousness. It wasn't the first time...she knew Ron wouldn't let her die...he had too much fun. But as usual, she decided to welcome the blackness wishing she wouldn't wake up._

Hermione was jerked awake, her body covered in sweat and her throat parched. A glass of water was shoved into her hand and she drank greedily before looking into the worried grey eyes. Hermione tried to give the wizard a smile, but it came out as a shudder. It was daylight, and she was on the sofa, her book from earlier now splayed on the floor where it had fallen off. She must've fallen asleep after a quiet lunch.

Draco was still in his healer robes and started checked her vitals. "I-I'm okay. It was just a nightmare...well more like a memory" Hermione frowned wishing she could say more, but the pull of the Unbreakable Vow stopped her again.

Draco sat down next to her on the sofa, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, stroking her damp hair. "You're safe now, little dove. " Hermione sighed into his embrace. They'd continued getting closer the past couple of days, and his touch was an increasing source of comfort for her. So much so, that when he was in a room, they were usually lightly touching, one way or another. He could always bring her back from a panic attack or from her the dark path her thoughts often took.

Of course , the blonde wizard didn't mind in the slightest. He'd hoped for the day when she was as comfortable around him as she was Harry, only not in the familial sense.

"I wish I knew what those nightmares were, so I could offer more than a shoulder to cry on. Lupin has been working non-stop in his free time to find a way around your vow. At least Harry and the Auror's have Ron's Pensieve. They've just about broken the enchantments around it, keeping them out." Draco sighed, glad they could have proof of the Weasel's transgressions, but worried for the destruction those memories would bring, for Harry, Hermione, and anyone else who saw their wretchedness. Draco was taken out of his musings by Hermione quiet question.

"Why couldn't it have been you…?" She murmured, almost to herself. Draco froze, unsure of what she meant.

"What do you mean, Hermione?" Draco's voice was tight.

"Why couldn't we have been like this after the war...why did I have to fall in love with-with him?" Hermione was still half asleep, and knew she was being illogical.

"Hermione, I would give anything to go back and make sure you never had anything to do with him. I would have stopped being a git way earlier and befriended Harry...and-and tried to make you mine. Mine to protect, and mine to cherish" Draco finished with a whisper.

Hermione stared up at him with her big brown eyes. "I'm not worth it, now. I'm broken and used. You-you are wasting your time here, Draco. I don't know if these nightmares will ever stop… or if I'll ever be normal again." Hermione nuzzled into his shoulder, inhaling his masculine scent.

Draco put two fingers under her chin, causing her to look into his eyes. "Hermione, you are more beautiful in your brokenness, than any other witch in her 'wholeness'. I'm not going anywhere...and helping you build a new life...with or without me in it, could never be a waste of time." He let go of her chin and rolled up his sleeve to reveal his faded Dark Mark.

"I have my scars too...after the war I was broken and had to rethink everything i've ever known, but I was given a second chance. Thanks to you and Potter, I wasn't sent to Azkaban. I thought my life was over, and with my second chance...I was able to start over. I gained a best friend in Harry, and strengthened my old friendships with Blaise and Theo. I only wished I had gotten my act together enough in time to save you." Draco's eyes never left hers.

"Helping Harry look for you and seeing you through his memories, I regretted never _truly _ knowing you. And I would take this chance to you, the _broken_ you, as you say, over having to bury you in the ground."

Hermione placed a small kiss over his scarred Dark Mark, and Draco flinched, looking down at the witch in surprise.

"Thank you." she whispered looking up at him. "I may never be the witch you saw in Harry's memories, again. I- I need to go slow, but I do want you...in my life that is. For as long as you'll stick around..until my crazy chases you away."

Draco's smile shined 100-watts and Hermione couldn't help but smile back. "I'm going to have a shower. Then I'll get started on dinner. Sirius is coming by with Lupin and Harry. They want to discuss telling Tonks and Ginny about my survival.

Draco nodded having owled Harry at work. He watched her walk away, staring at her pert arse, before shaking his head and propping his legs up on the couch. _Hermione wants me in her life...she wants to go slow. _ Draco knew slow would be hard, but it was worth it... she was worth it.

_Now if only we could catch that wretched Wease_l. Draco drifted off with sweet dreams of slugging the slimeball Weasley.

**A'N: Okay this is shorter! But I want to try to do shorter chapters and update more! So this is a trial...what do you think? I want to update by Monday with the next one! What do you think Ron will do at the bookshop? **

**Will they tell Ginny and Tonks? Also where have the twins been? I Feel like they should be in on this right? maybe?**

**Thank you to all the reviews! I replied to everyone i could, but we had a lot of guests this time - so I couldn't respond! Thanks for all the reviews...they make me so happy!**


	14. Another Reunion

**Ch. 14: Another Reunion**

November 18, 2001 Sunday afternoon

"Remus, why are we flooing into Draco Malfoy's living room? Knowing the Malfoy's there are probably countless artifacts little Teddy can get break, just in the foyer." Tonks inquired softly as the blue haired three year old squirmed in her arms. Remus chuckled, "Just trust me, love. Draco is different than most Malfoy's you've met. He really is best friends to the Potters."

"That's a good thing considering what's going on with Ron Weasley right now...that is seriously so fucked up." Tonks burst."it's partly why we are here." Remus began as Sirius swept into the room with a grin.

"Oh you're gonna love this, cousin. Hand me the little tyke, we have a little playroom set up for him while we do business. You two stay here and wait for Harry and Malfoy." Sirius breezed by grabbing his little Teddy and tossing him in the air.

"Uncle Siri." the three year old screamed and changed his hair to black waves.

"Yes sir, Teddy! You look dashing now, young man. Let's go. I've got new toys for you, buddy." Sirius took him into the room next to Hermione's and got him setup to be distracted for the next couple of hours.

The young witch sat in anticipation on her bed, awaiting the moments when she could see her best friends again. She wanted so badly to hold little Teddy, but did not want to risk his safety by putting a child under oath. With Tonks' permission, she would see Teddy under Laurie's disguise later.

Two minutes later she heard Sirius walk into the room next to her, cooing at baby James. She imagined Sirius setting him up in his little baby station with the wizzing quidditch players zooming around and around. Hermione took another deep breath. They'd decided to host this meeting at the same level of secrecy as the Order of the Phoenix. They conducted many top secrets meeting before, holding the fate of the wizarding world in the hands of many, and the group believed they could do it once again, with those they trusted.

They were still only bringing in Tonks, Ginny, and the twins today. Making them take the oath before Hermione presented herself. It was risky to open up to more people, but they wanted Hermione to have her freedom and she knew she could trust the Order members . Hermione knew inherently that Ron acted of his own accord, or he would have thrust the betrayal of one of her friends in her face.

Remus and Sirius encouraged them to soon speak with Kingsley and McGonagall, as well. McGonagall, because the witch had a once been a mentor, and Hermione having access to Hogwarts library and grounds would give her much more roaming space, as Laurie, for now.

It was a big step to take, trusting so many, but she knew it was a necessary step towards normalcy. And taking a vow as an Order Member under secrecy, kept her safe under most circumstances.

A light tap on her door momentarily distracted her from the whirring of worries in her head. She rose quickly from her bed and walked straight into Draco's waiting arms, inhaling his calming scent.

His large hands softly ran through her hair, "It's going to be fine, little dove. I'll be back to get you in about 15 minutes, okay?" He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and Hermione sighed into it. "Can't you stay with me? You calm me down and make me feel safe." Hermione spoke muffled into his chest. Draco's arms squeezed tighter around her.

"I wish I could, but I have to be there to give the Vow, since I started it. Sit tight just a while longer. You'll have Ginny, Tonks, and the twins waiting." Draco tried to reassure her, and himself. He was just as nervous trusting more people with their secret, and with Hermione's safety, but he knew members of the Order were trustworthy and would be under oath. Ron was an evil bloke, but Harry insisted on not letting that betrayal taint his trust in others. If that had happened in the war, they would've fallen instead of standing together. Sirius described Ron as their Pettigrew, and Remus agreed, only the marauders failed by letting it split their friendship, having Remus live with years of distrust and the belief that Sirius was the villain.

Draco shook his thoughts off and moved Hermione back to her soft armchair. "Read, little bookworm. I'll be back for you before you know it." Draco couldn't resist kissing the top of her head once more with this lips, relishing in her admission from the day before. She wanted to give him a chance.

Hermione watched the wizard that gave her butterflies leave to the foyer. He'd calmed her considerably and she began reading a book on Time Turners. She was so immersed in the theory that thirty minutes went by before a tired looking Malfoy came through the door. Hermione looked up surprised, "Back already?"

Draco rolled his eyes muttering under his breath about nothing changing and her bookish ways. Hermione grinned and took his outstretched hand. She really enjoyed the sweet protective Draco of late, but was always pleasantly amused to witness the drier and more sarcastic sides of the Slytherin. He was quite humorous now that his jabs, wit, and slight arrogance weren't based in bigotry and malice.

Draco stopped when she tugged slightly on his hand, her small smile sent a jolt of want through his bones. _My witch is giggling at me! _"Are you laughing at me, little dove?" Draco asked quietly. Hermione's eyes darkened a hint at his husky tone, her lips quirked to the side. "What are you going to do about it, Draco Malfoy?"

Draco's mind played about a thousand images, all involving Hermione in less clothes, moaning his name. However, he had a foyer full of people under oath, waiting to see Hermione Granger in the flesh. "Oh, love. There are many things I wish i could do about it. But I spent the last thirty minutes helping Lupin, Black and Potter restrain an enraged Tonks, Ginny, Fred, and George. All of whom heard the story and our proof and immediately tried to leave and go after the redheaded evil bastard."

"Once we stopped them from leaving, that Weasley temper reared its head in the form of Ginny sending a bat bogey hex at Harry, for keeping you a secret for so long." Draco chuckled. "Needless to say, they are demanding your presence."

Hermione laughed, outright, long and loud for the first time in almost 18 months. More than the chuckles she'd been having in her freedom, this laugh was from deep inside. She was bent over, holding her stomach, laughing so hard that tears were coming down her face. She was finally thrilled at the prospect of being reunited with Tonks and Ginny, and hearing Ginny's display of temper on the poor unsuspecting Harry, was the normalcy she had craved for months. The hysterical bubble burst and she couldn't stop laughing now.

Draco looked utterly bewildered and bemused. "Granger. Have you gone mad?" Draco tried to move Hermione along, out of the hall, but then he heard a chorus of footsteps and rolled his eyes. _Here come the troops, so much for a calm entrance._

A flash of red hair came around the corner first yelling behind her, "I hear her laugh, Harry, I am not waiting a second longer to see my best friend!" The redhead stopped in her tracks and stared at the bent over, laughing witch. Hermione sobered and straightened up, hiccuping from loss of air.

Hermione's eyes widened when she saw Ginny draw her wand, and Draco immediately moved in front of the angry redhead. "Are you fucking serious?" Draco sneered.

A loud whisper from the small cluster of their friends behind them answered, "No I am." and then

"Ouch, fuck Remus, I can't help it."

"Draco, it's okay. She w-wont hurt me." Hermione gulped moving in front of Malfoy.

Ginny stalked closer, hope shining in her bright blue eyes before she whispered in Hermione's ear. "What happened Halloween night in my fifth year, your sixth year, that you swore you'd never tell anyone?"

Hermione giggled delightedly and nodded to Ginny to cast a Muffilato curse around them.

"McGonagall caught you out after curfew in the alcove by the statue of the one-eyed witch." Hermione took a deep breath, another burst of laughter threatening to erupt. "You would've gotten off with a warning, but Dean Thomas' face was in between your legs and your knickers were hanging from the one-eyed witches fingers." Hermione finished red faced and holding her stomach with laughter.

Her giggles stopped with a rough exhale as Ginny simultaneously jumped Hermione into the tightest Weasley hug. Hermione's still slight body buckled under the strong quidditch player and the witches sank to the floor laughing and crying.

"It's really you! Oh my beloved sister, I am so sorry." Ginny was now sobbing into Hermione's chest, squeezing the brunette tighter around the middle as Hermione gently pet her soft red hair.

"Godric, you're a frail little thing"

"Bloody tiny"

"shorter than I remember, Forge."

"Hair is longer though, Gred."

"But Merlin, still as beautiful" Hermione heard the twins finish together and looked up from the sobbing redhead in her arms to two grinning mischief makers. She nodded towards them and they flanked either side of the sprawled out witches. Tonks shrieked, finally snapping out of her shock, and flew in right on top of Ginny, peppering Hermione's tear stained face in sloppy kisses.

"For Salazar's Sake, you bloody Gryffindor's -

"I was a Hufflepuff" came a muffled reply from Tonks

"You sodding Gryffindors'" Continued the aristocratic drawl of Draco Malfoy, "insist on sprawling on the floors like children. No, not even children because no Malfoy child has ever played on the floor, but like uncivilized buffoons." Draco sniffed into the air, waving his wand at a dish towel and turning it into a rug to sit on primly.

"Oi, Draco. We know you keep the floor spotless though, _Malfoy's do not keep a dirty home."_ Harry's voice drifted mockingly over to him as the Boy Who Lived joined the throng , who'd settled itself into a makeshift circle.

Draco grumbled something about having a perfectly lovely, and inhabitable living room, but stopped when Hermione shot him an amused grin. _My witch is laughing at me, again._ He was mildly annoyed that the newcomers had her surrounded, but he figured it was okay as she was actually living with him.

Hermione reveled in the presence of her new friends, relieved that she could not find any accusing sneers or looks of betrayal.

"I'm really sorry I can't answer any questions, really. I'm sure Harry explained it all already." her brows furrowed. "Him and Neville are looking through _his_ Pensieve, so I'm sure he knows the most." Hermione couldn't look Harry in the eye, knowing he was still going through the memories, probably seeing her in the various states of nakedness, starvation, and torture.

Ginny's fists were clenched and the twins looked like they had murder on the brain. "When I see that evil excuse for a wizard...he's no brother to me...or even a Weasley for that matter." Ginny spat

"You'll have to get in line" a quiet Sirius spoke up. He'd just returned from checking on the children.

"You'll help the most by aiding the Auror's in finding Ronald, so justice can be served and Hermione can come out of hiding." Remus reminded, stroking the bright pink hair of his wife.

"Wish we could find him and rip him apart" Fred growled

"_Piece by Piece" _George answered

"Cell by cell"

"_Molecule by Molecule_"

"Put him back together"

"_And start all over again…_" George finished getting up to hug Hermione again.

"We are going to keep you so entertained now that you are back 'Mione!" Fred lightened up

"Yes! We could definitely use that brain of yours on some products! We can bring stuff by for you to look at, potions and charms!" George exclaimed and further brightened at Hermione's wide smile.

"That would be fantastic, you two! I hate feeling useless, but I have been researching how to get rid of my.." Hermione choked on the word scar and rubbed her wrists and stomach again. Looking away from the enraged faces of her friends.

"Uhm..anyway. Can I get you anything? It is rather late now? tea?" Hermione stood of brusquely, trying to avoid the pitying stares of her peers, and moved to the kitchen.

Draco stood, partly from his ingrained manners, but mostly to follow his clearly rattled witch. However Ginny Potter put her hand up and followed her instead.

Tonks whistled and the Weasley twins raised their eyebrows, all grinning at Draco Malfoy who was still staring off after Hermione.

"Merlin, the bloke's got it bad." 

"Aye Aye Gred, if I didn't have my sweet Angie, I'm sure I would too though."

Draco spun around noticing all eyes on him, and a chuckling Harry Potter. Draco swore Malfoy's didn't blush, but he felt the telltale heating of his porcelain cheeks.

"Shove off, all of you." he muttered to the chorus of laughter. Sirius scowled, having just got his daughter back, he wasn't keen on having wizards after her.

Harry stood and moved to clap Draco on the back. "Let's move to the living room. I'm too old to sit on the floor for long." Harry cracked his back, emphasizing the point.

"Potter, you're 21, you git."

"Oi, shove off, Malfoy."

In the kitchen, Ginny hovered next to her friend, partially worried she would disappear again.

Hermione turned to the bell like sound of her friend's chuckles.

"So you and Malfoy? Hmm? He's had it bad for a while now, 'Mi. You should have seen him sulking around our house, for months. Pining over what could have been." Ginny ended solemnly. "Looks like you might give him that chance?"

Hermione blushed." He knew all along...when he was trying to court me..well Laurie. But Gin, I'm just worried...what if he has this idea of who I am? An idea he's built up in my absence, and I am going to let him down so entirely that I end up being worthless to him...being worthless, again. I am not who I was almost two years ago." Hermione choked down a sob and was immediately pulled into GInny's embrace.

"Hermione. You are not and have never been worthless. Even at your lowest when that bastard almost broke you and had you at your worst, you could never be worthless. You're Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age, even after all you've been through. _You_ escaped. _You_ saved yourself. Now let _us_ help heal you. Draco included. No one is foolish enough to think we don't have a long road ahead of us, but we are here to help, now." Ginny squeezed her best friend tighter

"She's right you know" came the baritone voice from behind them. Hermione gasped and scowled at their eavesdropper.

"You'll never be worthless, 'sis." Harry came and swept her into his hold. "And I wouldn't let Draco near you if it was a possibility for him to think anything less of you than that you hung the moon and make it rotate the earth every night." Harry chuckled imagining his lovesick friend.

Hermione wiped her eyes. " Okay enough crying! I swear I shouldn't have any tears left."

She grabbed the tea tray with Ginny's helped and moved into the living room full of her friends, friends she never thought she'd see again not two months ago. Draco stood as she entered the room taking the tea tray from her, distributing it and then sitting her down next to him. The corners of his mouth curved up as she snuggled into the crook of his arm and inhaled deeply.

For the two hours, Hermione listened and laughed to the stories her friends had to tell her from the past 19 months. Especially, the twins and Tonks kept her holding on to her stomach in laughter. As the night wound down, Hermione burrowed into Draco's chest smiling softly as the calming murmur of the people closest to her lulled her into a deep sleep.

She only stirred when she felt two strong arms lift her from the couch. She knew by the comforting masculine scent that it was Draco. "mm Draco" she grumbled and held tighter to the clean dress shirt he insisted on wearing even in his own home. "My little dove." He whispered and placed her down in The Cloud, as she now referred to her bed. His lips found themselves pressed to her forehead one last time before she heard him whisper, "Sweet Dreams, Hermione."

She sighed and gratefully fell into a dreamless sleep.

**A/N: Hope this chapter was great you and understand/accept the way things are progressing! More characters and more fun, right! I figured if the Order of the Phoenix could keep their many, many operations covert and successful against Voldemort, the same could be trusted with Hermione's secret. Right? Right! Next chapter will be up soon! I just need more motivation sometimes, ahh ADD!**

**Thanks again, for all of the reviews, I've tried to respond to all the people who allow PMs! I love you all! Expect something next week :) I have guests coming in this weekend, so no writing for me :(.**

**-wbm92**


	15. Bottom of the Bath

Chapter 15: Bottom of the Bath

**Tuesday Morning, Nov 20, 2001**

" I just really think it's a good idea, especially since they are Muggles and we can't put up magic wards around their shop without hurting the business." Hermione reasoned, pleadingly looking up at Draco. She was grinning inwardly at his cracking exterior, she'd noticed he had a hard time saying no to her, and for the first time, maybe ever, she felt the slightest bit powerful in a feminine way.

Ron had never looked at her like he revered her, something she already noticed in Draco occasionally, something that made her feel safe and adored. With Ron, she was wanted, yes, but it was always in an obsessive, possessive, and insecure way. Ron was always reaching for her, grabbing and trapping her figuratively...until it was literally. Draco was protecting, giving, and open. He still gave her space and let her heal and develop. He didn't try to make her dependent on him, as Ron would, yet she was already growing to find the handsome healer as a comforting source that she was reliant on. Not only that, but he set her heart alight with attraction she couldn't believe she was feeling so soon after escaping the worst experience of her life.

Needless to say, Hermione Granger's brain was constantly whirring with thoughts and emotions as she continued to create a new life for herself, under Draco Malfoy's roof. Hermione shook her head, annoyed with the rabbit hole her mind traveled down. She even felt sort of guilty for comparing Ron and Draco, Draco didn't deserve that.

"Hermione, did you hear me?" Draco's voice broke through the haze.

Her name sounded like silk coming from his deep, sexy voice

"Hmm." she half purred, half sighed in contentment. Her eyes widened as she realized she'd made the noise out loud. Clearing her throat she made contact with his eyes that shone a light grey and were filled amusement.

"Hmm. What was that Draco, I apologize. I spaced out again." Hermione fiddled with her hands, hoping he couldn't sense just _what_ she spaced out on.

Draco smirked at the pink blush on her cheeks, reaching out to stroke the heated skin, he traced his finger from her jaw and down her neck. Her warm, bulky sweater stopped him from reaching the soft skin of her collar bone like he desperately wanted.

Hermione shivered under his soft touch and watched him closely. His finger touched her wool covered shoulder and was joined with the rest of his hand to give her a gentle squeeze.

" I said, you're right. And I should have expected the Gryffindor in you would be worried about protecting all of your new friends. If you think getting one of those mob-ool tellies will keep the muggles safe, and you close to them, I think you should get one. Maybe I'll get one too, and you can explain what tekking is. If it's faster than owling, it could be useful sometimes while I'm at work. Although, St. Mungo's may interfere with Muggle technology..omph"

Hermione couldn't stop herself from jumping and hugging Draco tightly, her head snuggling into his muscular chest. He was just irresistible, being open about her ideas and Muggle things, and it was even more adorable when he messed the words up.

"I'm not _adorable_, Hermione." Draco huffed, but hugged her back and kissed her lightly on top of the head, while his hand was threaded lightly in her hair.

"Merlin, I didn't realize I'd spoken aloud." Hermione giggled and then stepped back to grab his hand. "Come on! I have to teach you how to use a cellphone! And, we get to see Mavis and Peter again. AND I need to get another book from Flourish and Blotts...oh I can't wait until we talk to Kingsley and McGonagall...I really could use Hogwart's library right now." Hermione started adding her Laurie glamour back on as they prepared to apparate

" Remus and I have both hit a dead end. Sirius is almost done checking out some of the darker books in the Black library to make sure they aren't cursed and are safe to be read by non-purebloods. That will give us more avenues to explor, for breaking _his_ hold on my mind, the vow...and for my scars" She frowned now, rubbing her fingers over her stomach. Hermione looked at the ground and then back up at Draco. He'd been silent the whole time she was chattering away, so she grabbed his hand and apparated them to Muggle London in a deserted alleyway.

"Okay, I think the store is this way…" Hermione breathed in the cold air and tugged the navy blue scarf tighter around her neck. The wind was vicious today.

Draco cleared his throat and Hermione turned to look at him, puzzled by the his awkward demeanor.

" So I know you are in need of more tomes to research...and since Lucius has been missing since the war, I own Malfoy Manor…" Draco looked into wide, chocolate brown eyes and continued, "There are generations upon generations of books in the Malfoy library and I want you to be able to use it...but I know you have terrible memories in my childhood home." Draco's voice was quiet. "But i do think it could be the place to find the cure...it has more books than the Black library seeing as the Blacks moved a lot of their collection to ours a few decades back. My mother, you may be surprised, is an avid reader and insisted her dowry come with at least half of the Black collection."

Hermione remained quiet and so Draco kept babbling, hoping he hadn't scared her off or angered her. He noticed she was rubbing her wrists, a bloody nervous habit from being repeatedly bound. It angered him everytime he saw it, so this time he gently grabbed her hands and held them in his own.

"Mother remodeled immediately after the war. She-she's the only family I have and did everything to protect me in the war. I know she never bought into the blood purity like Bellatrix...and she actually sees Andromeda and Teddy quite frequently."

Hermione was now smiling softly at the nervous wizard, she'd imagined many times in the past week how the Malfoy library would be beneficial , but never wanted to cross a line. Before he could babble anymore, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close, placing a small kiss on the corner of his lips.

"I would love to see the library, Draco. I've read it's bigger than Hogwarts?" Hermione gushed and Draco grinned widely, resisting the urge to touch the corner of his mouth where Hermione's soft lips had been.

"It is, I recently added a section of Muggle literature as well. And uhm- I hope you don't mind, but I asked my mother to begin looking for helpful books already...for a 'friend of mind'. She gets quite bored around the house, and she's quite brilliant at Potions." Draco fumbled again until he saw Hermione's shy smile.

"That's wonderful, Draco. I suppose I'll have to visit as Laurie then?" Hermione inquired tiredly. Draco knew it was getting irritating for her to glamour, and frankly, he was tired of it as well. He loved looking at the Hermione Granger he'd dreamed about for many months.

"You know, it's probably for the best, dove. My mother wouldn't let you out of the house until Pokey and Bopper fed you at least eight full meals. She'd think you were much too thin." Draco shouldered her playfully. He knew Hermione was working on gaining weight, and she did it happily, often begging Draco to go out and get her some chocolate or ice cream at night. He'd done so willingly, but had to add some more exercise to his routine, as he often indulged as well.

"Are you saying Laurie is fat?!" Hermione asked with fake indignace as she felt the glamoured, fit curves

"Oh, a right whale she is!" Draco laughed until Hermione jumped on his back tickling his sides until he called uncle, after which he stalked off and pretended to ignore her until the cell phone store

"The Big Bad Slytherin is ticklish?" She laughed and continued to poke fun at him until he responded to her insults. Draco grumbled and pulled the annoying little chit into his side, smiling covertly at her happy sigh.

An hour and two cell phones later, Hermione and Draco set off to the The Dusty Shelf. About 100 meters away, both noticed something off, something stale hanging in the air. Though the bookshop was never by any means busy, it appeared dark from the outside, like it hadn't been opened. Dread pooled in her stomach and Hermione started off at a sprint towards the shop. She could hear Draco hollering at her to stop but she kept running until she reached the door, the locked door. Before Hermione could pull out her wand, she felt two strong arms pull her back.

"Laurie...stop! I sense it too, but let me contact Harry and get the Auror's here to secure the perimeter before you rush into danger. I can't lose you - especially not to something we could have avoided by not being bullheaded." Draco saw Hermione nod, and he could feel her heart hammering against his arm.

Hermione could feel the dark magic surrounding the shop, she knew it was not favorable, but Draco was right. It could be a trap...and Mavis and Peter could be alright...Merlin, let them be all right.

Draco ushered them to the coffee shop across the street, where Hermione gave a half hearted hello to the blonde, bouncy Alice. Draco used his new phone to dial the muggle lines at the Ministry, usually used for speaking to muggle government officials and the like. When he was connected to the Auror office he asked for Harry, seconds later a breathless Harry answered the phone line at his assistant's desk, swearing he needed to get a cell phone now too. Draco quickly told him where they were and within minutes Harry and Neville met the pair at the coffee shop to escort Hermione to the Dusty Shelf.

Harry put up a "Notice me not" charm around the vicinity. Draco held onto Hermione as the two Aurors opened the door to the dark foreboding shop. No one could deny the last vestiges of dark magic left over. Hermione knew deep down that this outing was not going to end well, but waited outside the door as Harry requested. After two minutes they heard Harry's broken shout, "Malfoy, take Hermione home, now."

Hermione immediately made to run into the shop, knowing that whatever happened was on her shoulders, she walked into these Muggles life, and she left them unprotected. How could she be so thoughtless? Hermione was already berating herself. Several steps into the shop, the shaking witch felt something sticky underneath her feet. The rotten smell of death almost caused her to pass out.

Harry's strong voice reverberated from the back of the shop. "Now. This is officially a crime scene, and I will arrest you if you come back here, Hermione." She knew it was an empty threat, but whatever pushed Harry to make a threat on her, pushed her forward in the dark. Before she could get any further, two strong arms pulled her back. Momentary panic gave way to relief and then anger as Draco apparated her away, straight from within the shop.

When they hit the solid ground of Draco's flat, Hermione tore herself from his body; angry hysterical magic was crackling from her hair. Hermione stormed away from the blonde, searching for someone else, anyone else in the flat. Her stride left footprints of dried sticky blood behind, causing Draco to shudder and curse the visual reminder that Death seemed to follow his beautiful witch around.

Not finding anyone else at the flat, no Sirius or Ginny, Hermione stood alone shaking for a moment. She recalled all that her senses picked up in the short time she stood in the dark shop. It was her fault, she knew it was Ron. Which meant, he knew about Laurie..and maybe even Hermione. Hermione rubbed the non-existent binds on her wrists and looked at the ground, just now noticing the bloody footprints she'd tracked in.

A scream threatened to burst forth, so she held her palm tightly to her mouth to stifle it and ran back to her room. She threw locking charms up around her room, not wanting to see Draco or Harry yet, and stalked immediately to the washroom to draw a bath. Once in, the hysterical witch scrubbed her skin raw, even though the blood was only on her shoes; her panic, fear, and guilt overtook all rational thought.

Hermione sat in the water, staring blankly ahead. Going back and forth in her mind from nothingness, to horrible pictures of what happened to the dear muggles who took her in when she had nowhere to go. The shaking witch noticed the water temperature decline as the minutes, maybe hours ticked by. The tremors wracking her body could have come from the cold water she didn't bother to heat up, or from physical presence of fear she felt when thinking of those violent, malicious blue eyes waiting for her. She reasoned, in a quiet hysteria, that it was probably both.

She was tired of fighting and fear. She was tired of her loved ones being threatened and even killed. She was tired of being the burden she knew she was, she was too tired to think about those who claimed to really love her, and she was too tired to get out of the bathtub. She knew Ron wouldn't stop until she was dead and gone . Hermione's heavy lids started to close, and her body went limp from emotional exhaustion. She felt her body slide further under the water, and somewhere in her subconscious her actions were registering, but she was too exhausted to care anymore. Her heavy eyes stayed close and she felt herself slip into sleep as her face fell beneath the tepid bathwater.

Harry sat slouched in his office chair, trying to process the last few hours. It had definitely been Ron at the shop, the sick bastard left a vial of his memory for Hermione, so she could see the death and destruction her escape caused. Harry held the note Ron left Hermione in his trembling hand, taunting her and promising the same fate to all those protecting her. He wouldn't show her any of what he'd seen, and he wouldn't show her the note. He knew his sister, and she was probably already blaming herself. Ron's words and threats kept her scared enough to fake her death and hide from them in the first place, and he wouldn't let her do that again.

Ron even _generously_ promised to _spare_ her loved ones, if she came back to him willingly. Harry's anger mounted at the thought, as the sting, no _burn_ of betrayal shot through him once again.

There had been blood all over the books and shelves. The blood of those who'd helped her. The muggles had been tortured, Ron not seeing them fit to have a quick death. Dried trails of blood under their noses and evidence the older woman died from a brain aneurysm, led healers to the conclusion it was caused due to severe and sloppy execution of Legilimens.

The teenager, Peter. He was the real surprise. Ron had left him to bleed out, after thoroughly and painfully searching his mind...and finding his affection for Laurie...Ron was downright vicious to the boy who had refused to say anything about the girl who rented their room. After an hour of the cruciatus curse, Ron slit his wrists and petrified the teenager. leaving him until he bled out.

Harry found him with a faint...very faint pulse. Peter was now in St. Mungo's undergoing intensive healing and then probably would be obliviated. Harry knew Hermione would hate it, but insist. She'd done it to her parents to keep them safe all those years ago.

Ron's memories left Harry disgusted and disbelieving. The bastard knew now who Laurie was. He'd put the pieces together. Harry thanked Merlin that his family was already at Hogwarts.

Everyone in the Order was about to be put on high alert, those who didn't know about Hermione would just know there was a threat against their lives.

A light tap on the door interrupted his dark thoughts. Kingsley stepped through the door, meeting Harry to discuss the latest on Ronald Weasley. He took a deep breath and explained from the beginning, everything about Hermione and her survival. Draco had given him express permission, allowing him to swear another in, though it hardly mattered now that Ron knew.

As Harry was finishing the story to an outraged and stunned Kingsley, Sirius' face popped through the floo. Harry immediately knew something was wrong. "Harry, don't panic. "Sirius stopped when he saw Kingsley, but harry motioned him to go on. " He knows".

Sirius took a deep breath, his raspy voice cracking a little as he spoke. "Hermione just about drowned in the bathroom. Thank Godric Draco loves the girl and invaded her privacy, but...Harry, I don't know if it was totally an accident. I'll let Malfoy explain when you get here...but Harry, come. She's drowning in guilt and I'm worried she will do something else foolish."

Kingsley put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'll hold a press conference confirming Ron as dangerous and Undesirable No.1. We will end this. Please let me know when I can see Hermione. Good work today, Potter."

Harry nodded and went through the floo, shutting it behind him. As soon as he did, a blood curdling scream echoed from down the hall. Rushing to Hermione's bed he saw Sirius in animagus form, attempting to curl up next to the girl in the middle of another nightmare. Harry tried to wake up the flailing girl, but she wouldn't come out of it. Draco's ashen face appeared in the doorway, more healing potions in hand. He immediately dropped them on the side table and stood by Harry. Hermione was now muttering in her sleep, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Not them, please not them. I'll come. Take me, please. Don't hurt him! Draco!"

Draco flinched at the brokenness with which she said his name. Her nightmares confirmed each wizard's fear. Hermione could not led to believe Ron would hurt them...she, that damn Gryffindor would go back to the bastard, to save them...to save _him._ Draco couldn't focus on the fact that she may deeply care for him, though it warmed him deep within his soul. When he he saw her body start to shake and shudder again, Draco had enough and moved forward whispering into her ear and rubbing her arms.

"Love, wake up. You're safe. We're safe. It's not your fault. Please it's a dream. Wake up for me, little dove."

At the term of endearment, hermione's eyes flickered open. Her momentary relief disappearing as she gripped the collar of Draco's shirt and began sobbing into his neck. "I-I'm sorry, Draco." she whimpered into his neck. Draco barely registered the faint whining coming from Padfoot.

"I gave up...in the bathtub. I'm...can't let.." Hermione was having a hard time voicing the jumbled thoughts in her mind. "I'm truly not worth this...poor Mavis...and Mr. Morrington...And -and Peter. They barely knew me and _he..._well he hurt them. I can't imagine what he would do to you or Sirius or Harry!" Draco listened to her and continued to rub her arms, while scooting into the bed with her. She curved into his body, and laid her head on his chest, using it as a pillow.

Harry spoke from the corner of the room. "Peter isn't dead Hermione. He was still alive...just barely."

Draco felt Hermione relax a little bit in relief. "I want to see him..before he leaves St. Mungo's." Hermione whispered..but all wizards just sat in silence. Draco heard Sirius and Harry leave the room once Hermione's breathing slowed and she drifted off, still secured snugly against Draco.

"We'll talk tomorrow." Draco whispered to Harry who nodded, suddenly ready to get back to his wife and son, eat dinner with them, and make sure they were still safe and sound.

Draco gazed at the snoozing witch in his arms. It took all of his years in Hogwarts and the war pretending to be unaffected and aloof to keep him from having a fit of his own, an angry, upset, worried fit. Alas, he remained still next to Hermione, occasionally stroking her soft, damp hair.

He would never forget the sight of her underneath the water, unconscious, or the look of utter defeat and disappointment when he vanished the water building in her lungs and nursed her back to consciousness. He saw the look of pure exhaustion on her face, and realized she'd at least had some action in her brush with death, although Draco figured she wasn't in a rational frame of mind. She'd stayed, instead of getting out of the bathtub, fighting the voice in her head pushing her to give in and give up.

The young wizard sighed, he couldn't actually blame the witch...he'd had his fight with depression, feeling like the only way to get free is to give up. He knew it wasn't as easy as simply getting up and changing, doing, or fixing, it takes time, support and healing. Something Hermione was getting, but with an event like they all just experienced...how could you not break again?

It was this realization that had Draco running to the bathroom just a few hours ago. He'd heard her turn on the tub, and felt her put up the wards. The nagging feeling inside told him to check on her, despite her obvious want of privacy. She needed support and comfort, even if it was just a tray for dinner and a promise to be in the next room. Her wards were complex but not impossible and Draco was through in no time...coming upon the still figure in the bathtub was one of the worst things he'd ever witnessed...including all of the horrid things he'd seen when Voldemort took residence in the Manor.

Draco checked his pocket watch and it was almost 8pm. Hermione had yet to move again, and he really had to use the loo and have a small supper. When he started to shift, Hermione's big brown eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him groggily with a soft smile. Draco watched as she rubbed her cheek against the soft cotton of his shirt and inhaled deeply, before leaning up and placing a kiss on his jaw.

"Draco." she breathed happily

The blonde wizard assumed she was mostly still asleep, but his cheeks warmed at the feel of her lips on his jaw. He untangled himself from her grip and snuck off to use her bathroom. When he returned, her arms were outstretched and she was starting to whimper in her sleep. Her brow was furrowed and mouth moving silently, but it obvious discomfort. When he stood close to check on her, she reached for him, mumbling, "stay. Don't leave me, please Draco.".

Draco knew he would do anything she asked him, conscious or no. So he slipped back into her arms and quietly called for Prissy. The house elf appeared with a quiet pop, she'd helped Draco check Hermione for any additional injuries after the bathtub incident. "Do Master and Miss need anything?" she whispered.

"Something warm for dinner please. Two plates. Miss hermione will eat hers when she awakes, so place a warming charm on it please. Also something I can eat with one hand, please. " Draco chuckled. He didn't plan on moving again until the witch woke up.

"And if Sirius hasn't returned to Grimmauld, make him a plate as well." The house elf nodded and scurried off to the kitchen.

With dinner on its way and an exhausted witch in his arms, Draco relaxed in his upright position. He closed his eyes waiting for Prissy to return. Tomorrow was a new day. A day for healing and helping a strong witch who needed more shoulders to bare the burden and baggage currently weighing her down.

**AN: whew. That was a heavy chapter and hard for me to write. I went back and forth forever trying to decide on the morringtons and then writing Hermione was tough this chapter as well. I know depression affects everyone differently and in varying degrees, this is just my version of Hermione's battle and struggle. I do not intend to sensationalize, be insensitive, over dramatic or anything else you may think when it comes to depression and suicide, and I hope no one is offended by my portrayal and writing. I've dealt with personally my own forms of depression, so I would never mean to make someone upset or feel like I don't understand!**

**Sorry for the long explanation! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and I'm sorry for the wait again! I made it longer though! Let me know what you thought! **

**Also I tried to respond to all the reviews I could. Especially, Jane thank you for sharing your story with me. I wish fan fiction didn't cut you off so I could finish it. I couldn't respond via pm either, but you taking time to share means a lot and I'm glad you like the story!**

**Thanks all! Wbm**


	16. Turning Point

Chapter 16: Turning Point

Wednesday Morning Nov 21, 2001

Hermione sighed happily and snuggled into 'The Cloud", only this morning her pillow was rising and falling at a slow and steady pace. Her pillow also smelled like warm, cozy sleep and something spicy, like faint cinnamon and clove. Through her sleep addled brain, Hermione realized, gasping, that her pillow was actually the hard chest of Draco Malfoy. A small smile spread across her blushing face, she didn't particularly want to move away from the still fully dressed wizard; however, the loo was calling.

She wriggled out of his hold, giggling quietly when his solemn face fell into a petulant scowl. He was even a bit of a brat in dreamland! Hermione hummed happily as she glided to the washroom, but stopped in her tracks upon seeing the large clawfoot tub. The events from yesterday barreled back at her full force.

_Harry. Sirius. ...and Draco. _Oh, she'd failed them… given up in a moment of exhaustion and pain. Hermione vaguely remembered her train of thought from the previous day, she'd been in a dangerous haze of guilt, sadness, and loss. The thought of facing Harry and Sirius today...her family, was almost more than she could bear. She'd just let herself abandon them again. Merlin, if only she could speed up her healing process. _Red-headed Bastard._ Hermione scowled and stared angrily at the black circles under her eyes. She was about to chide her reflection, but knew her voice would be hoarse from the water previously swimming in her lungs.

This morning, in the light of a new day, and after having a decent rest, she felt only rage. Yes, she needed to deal with the guilt and loss, but right now she reveled in her rage, it made her feel strong and more alive and passionate than she'd been in weeks. It felt like the burn of firewhiskey, only spreading to every vein and joint in her body, igniting her with a fire that had long been snuffed out.

Bugger Ron, and his sick, psychotic ways. He'd almost pushed her over the edge and took her away, once again, from her only remaining family. She had almost let him win. But no. The faint memory of Harry's broken and worried green eyes peering over her last night fueled the anger at herself and Ron.

The magic crackling around the 21 year old was tangible; the lights began to flicker as more thoughts swirled around in her mind. For the first time, anger and vengeance overrode the fear and brokenness.

That _rat_ would pay...pay for what he's done to her family and friends, and he would pay for what he'd done and continued to do to her.

A deep, calming breath helped Hermione pull her magic back under control. She could feel part of her inner lioness returning, the brave one that fought _with_ and _for_ her friends, that didn't tolerate injustice, and that could plan revenge like a Slytherin. Marietta Edgecomb's pimpled covered forehead flashed in her mind, as did the infamous slap to Malfoy' s visage.

Hermione paused at the memory...that snotty little boy, whom she'd hit, was in her bed right now..._I wonder if he remembers that._ Remorse but also laughter welled in her chest, and she quietly snuck back into her bed, crawling silently over to the still slumbering snake. A rush of affection flooded through her being and she changed her now red silk pajamas to their original green. Draco must've put her in the red last night, too worried about her to continue their little game.

Their little flirtation took form in Hermione deciding to charm the green silk pajamas she'd been given her first night, to red, claiming she would always revel in House pride. It had become something of a competition between the two, Hermione always using a complicated charm to keep the pajamas red, and Draco flicking his wand at her sleeping form, changing them back to green when he checked on her before he went to his own for the night. Every morning she would wake up, angry another charm had been figured out and broken by the smart blonde.

Hermione moved so she was hovering over Draco, she inspected the angular face she'd once assaulted . In the soft morning light, Hermione saw a faint horizontal scar on the bridge of his aristocratic, slightly upturned nose. It looked like someone else had left a mark over the years. Without thinking, her fingers moved to lightly trace the offending blemish that marred his porcelain skin.

As she traced it, the lounging witch decided it made him look a little rugged and manly. She wondered who left the scar. It looked like the result of muggle fighting, but she mused it could've also been a curse, or some debris that clipped him during the war. Or maybe it was a quidditch accident? He had been almost as reckless as Harry on a broom, if she remembered correctly.

Or maybe it was another angry witch , a scorned lover, or overzealous sex gone wrong. She scowled at the thought of him with other witches, and caught herself, surprised at her sudden show of possessiveness over this wizard. She continued to think of more humorous ways Draco picked up the little scar. Another angry hippogriff, maybe?

She realized she was still lightly tracing the scar and pulled her hand away to refocus her attention to the present. Amused grey eyes looked up at her, "What's got you thinking so hard this morning, little dove?

Hermione shivered slightly at the his raspy, sleep-filled voice. Draco smiled softly up at her and grabbed her hand, putting back on his face.

"That felt rather good, don't stop just because I'm awake now." The challenging little smirk softened while Hermione started tracing his other facial features. Draco wrapped an arm around her silk covered waist, smiling to himself that she'd changed her pajamas back to green sometime during the night. She just smirked down at him, daring him to comment, but instead Draco just kissed each of her fingertips before letting them resume their peaceful pathway along his face.

Hermione watched as Draco was lulled back to sleep by her gentle caress, and placed a small kiss between his perfectly sculpted eyebrows. She rolled ungracefully out of the Cloud and put her warm slippers on before padding her way to the bright kitchen. To her surprise, a disheveled Potter family was already there.

Harry looked pale and was slouched over a file he must've taken home from the Auror offices; a cup of tea was steaming the bags under his eyes as he read half heartedly. Little James sat in a magical play pen next to the table, giggling and playing with his toys, but still in little quidditch pajamas with magical brooms zooming over the fabric.

Ginny's bright red hair swayed down her back, as she puttered around the kitchen, taking what looked like pumpkin bread and biscotti out of the oven. Hermione could see her movements were more sluggish and tired than usual, and the curly haired witch feared what had the Potter's in her — uh —Draco's kitchen so early in the morning.

Hermione cleared her throat, but winced at the pressure it put on her sensitive respiratory system, the small action caused the kitchen scene to click into place for her just before she was lifted off the ground by a flash of raven black hair and green eyes. The grip around her waist was so tight she had to gasp painfully for air, causing her immediately be dropped and almost lose her balance again, only to be held up by her brother's strong arms.

"For Merlin's sake, Harry! I know you aren't a healer but are you clueless?! Her lungs are probably damaged and weak from last night. Draco wanted to wait to give her any draught until today, and yet you squeeze her so tight she can't breathe?!" Ginny snapped and moved over to pull Hermione delicately into her arms.

A sheepish Harry apologized quietly but his eyes kept surveying her, almost cautiously, worried she would slip through their fingers.

"I'm not going anywhere, you two. I won't let him win, and giving up is letting him do just that." Hermione said quietly, hoarsely, but with a strength to her voice they hadn't heard since her return.

"That being said," the determined witch continued, " I don't want to talk about last night, yet. You can hover for the morning, but I insist you carry on. Harry you go to work and help me beat him. That's the best thing you can do for me, right now. Now let's sit, and you can tell me what else you've found out, and what we are doing next."

Harry gaped at his best friend until Ginny elbowed him in the side and he closed his mouth, nodding. Wrapping his arm around Hermione, not denying the offer to hover, he steered her toward the kitchen table and told her what she'd missed and the plans going forward.

Hermione was relieved to hear that Peter had made it through alive, but was upset that the poor muggle would have to be obliviated and relocated into a whole new life. She hoped he would find love and happiness in his new life. Harry sighed and shook his head when she asked if she could visit him, saying it would only make things harder on the muggle. Hands shaking, Hermione took another sip of coffee, partly wishing Draco would wake up and make her a cappuccino.

The sound of the floo activating made all three people in the kitchen turn their heads. Sirius came striding into the kitchen, red faced and frantic. He threw a wad of paper at Harry before scooping Hermione into his arms and squeezing her tight. She rolled her eyes, asking Ginny to go ahead and get her the pain potion for her lungs.

Harry caught his attention, mouthing to not bring up last night, yet. Sirius sighed irritatedly and spoke up, "Better take a look at that Harry, we have a serious problem. In fact, I would expect Kingsley and the rest of the order who knows our location to show up immediately. Better shut down the floo if you don't want a full house, yet."

"Bloody hell I don't. Not yet, at least. Before we know what it is your screaming about it my flat at 7 in the morning." A grumbly and deliciously dreary Draco Malfoy sauntered into the kitchen, sleepily grabbing Hermione around the waist from Sirius and grabbing her coffee to take a giant gulp.

Hermione tried to keep a straight face and stealthily steal a sniff of his intoxicating scent, but he must've heard her, and grinned down at her while swallowing half of her coffee.

"Draco! I was drinking that!" She tried to scold, but he just shot her a devilish smirk, "It wasn't that good, love. I'll make you something better." Hermione's breath caught as he leaned down to kiss her forehead and she nuzzled into his chest, hiding her blush from the surrounding family.

"Oi, you arrogant prat. No breakfast for you then!" Ginny grumbled from the stove.

"Sorry, Red. Please forgive me, but you know I make the best coffee out of us lot." Draco shot her a charming smile. Ginny was about to answer over Hermione's giggles from her resting place on Draco's hard chest, when Sirius finally spoke up again.

"Someone go close the floo and read the bloody paper!"

Hermione jumped slightly at his tone of voice, causing Draco's arm around her to tighten a little. She was proud of herself for not trembling, her resolve of anger still set instead of fear. Whatever it was, she would face it. Draco must have shot Sirius a dirty look, because the Marauder excused himself to close the floo himself. At the same time, Harry picked up the paper Sirius threw at him and cursed loudly.

The scowl on Harry's face made Hermione duck out of Draco's safe embrace and move over to the kitchen table. She first noticed the large headline in bold and a couple moving pictures underneath it.

The first picture was a dug up grave and an empty, open coffin under the headstone bearing the name, "Hermione Granger". Hermione gasped and started trembling, looking at the next picture, it was of Draco holding Laurie Lindsey back in the doorway of the Dusty Shelf. Lindsey was screaming and crying and Draco was yelling. The picture didn't show much else, as it was taken from across the street, but it was enough to see Harry and the Aurors appearing and entering the shop, and then Laurie and Draco apparating away.

**WAR HEROINE ALIVE? HERMIONE GRANGER RAN AWAY FROM WIZARDING WORLD, COULDN'T HANDLE PRESSURES OF THE POST-WAR SPOTLIGHT**

**Hermione Granger, the wizarding world's previous Golden Girl, recently mourned and laid to rest by loving friends, is in fact alive. Not dead at all! And to top it off, she is dating former Death Eater and tormentor Draco Malfoy. According to our exclusive source, Hermione, glamoured and reappearing in Wizarding London under alias Laurie Lindsey, has been seeing Draco. Was it Malfoy who convinced her to come back to the wizarding world? Did she ever really leave? What was the harrowing story the Healers of St. Mungos were censored from telling us? Our source, Ronald Weasley himself, yes current fugitive, wrongly accused and caught up in the schemes of Hermione Granger, our source tells us that Hermione threatened the whole hospital and faked her death, so that she could plan the Wizarding World's demise in peace without best friend Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley to look over her shoulder.**

**Enlisting the help and sexual benefits of Draco Malfoy, the dark duo framed Weasley for the murder of two muggles last night that were explicitly tied to Hermione Granger/Laurie Lindsey. Weasley also accused Malfoy of using the Imperious Curse on him to conduct the illegal acts the former Auror has been accused of, prompting his run from the law. (For list of Ronald Weasley's alleged criminal activities see pg A4)**

**Ron claims the only thing he was guilty of was loving Hermione Granger too much. " I loved that witch with my heart and soul. But she would get jealous at my fame, no matter how much I reassured that she was the only one for me. Before she disappeared she had been withdrawn and angry. I only wish I could've gotten through to her. I didn't know the pressure of fame and her insecurities would push her this far. I was so devastated when she vanished, it was so hard to move on, and I still have a place in my heart for the old Hermione, the brave Gryffindor Princess."**

**Will Hermione Granger come forward and address these rumors?**

**We contacted the Ministry to confirm these recent developments and are awaiting comment. One thing is for certain, Hermione Granger's empty grave is telling to all. We had our specialists analyze the chaotic scene at the book store, and if one looks at Granger/Lindsey's arm, her vinewood wand can be seen clutched in her hand. We have confirmed with multiple experts that this is in fact the wand of the former war heroine.**

**Ronald Weasley remains on the run, scorned from his family and friends. It's time the Ministry start asking questions. Weasley claims the close friendship between Potter and Malfoy is Malfoy's way of staying out of suspicion. Potter, too blinded by loyalty and friendship, never questioned Malfoy's recent actions, once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater.**

**Is it possible our Golden Girl is under an Imperious from our blonde bad boy?**

**Check in at the Daily Prophet for the most recent developments in this tangled conspiracy and web of lies.**

**Written by. Marietta Edgecomb**

Draco's first instinct was to laugh. No one with a brain would believe the shit the sensational newspaper article claimed. The truth was bizarre, yes, but these accusations were delusional.

"No one is going to believe this!" Draco leveled with everyone in the kitchen.

"No, no most wont. Except Ronald's fan girls. But no matter what people believe, the main purpose of this article was to let people know I'm not dead. Ronald is trying to smoke me out of hiding. Once everyone knows I am alive, I have to show myself, he'll have more opportunities to make his move." Hermione spoke shakily, but then looked up to meet everyone's eyes individually,

"Which is a good thing. He may think he's forcing me out, but we are forcing him out of hiding as well. We can end it! I'll be the perfect bait."

"Hermione, hell fucking no." Sirius stated so quietly and deadly that Draco almost had chills.

"Why the hell not, Sirius?! I am not going to hide forever. And now the cat is out of the bag. Even if we denied the fact I was alive now, the truth will come out eventually, if I live through this I won't be glamoured the rest of my life." Hermione's stance was argumentative and despite the fact that her words scared them all, Ginny, Sirius, Harry and Draco couldn't help but feel like they were getting _the_ Gryffindor Princess back.

Harry spoke up, "We should speak with Kingsley about this. But, Hermione, while your idea is brave and clever, it may not be the safest thing. Our investigation of Ron's illegal activity is uncovering more troubling information, including a vast number of dark wizards who operate 'under the radar' so to speak. While we are always trying to round up these types, some operate in underground networks. I'm worried Ron would send one of them to grab you and then take you to an unknown location, then where would we be?" Harry finished grimacing at the notion. His forehead sweating lightly and his hair in disarray from his hands clutching at it.

Hermione frowned, "Alright, well we can sort out the details as they come, Harry. I understand and I am not so stubborn as to not listen, I don't want to go back with _him_, and I won't throw my life around carelessly, I want to live." she ended quietly and unwavering.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Saturday December 1, 2001

The whole of the Order, sans Kinglsey and the Aurors, held their breath in anticipation when they heard the whooshing sound of the floo activate in the Grimmauld Place drawing room. They knew it was her, but this was the first time many laid on eyes on the now alive Hermione Granger.

Molly and Arthur were devastated when Ginny, Fred, and George sat them down for the truth after the article broke. McGonnagal was furious she'd been kept in the dark about her favorite student, but worked off her steam by giving Sirius and Harry a donkey tail for a whole 24 hrs. Hermione hadn't been able to stop giggling when the sullen duo stopped by to tell her how it went. Bill, Fleur, and Charlie were all vowing to get back at their former brother, Charlie going as far as admitting his brief attraction to the brunette after the war and lamenting for not stealing her from "that rat bastard".

Charlie contacted his friend in Romania, telling them to keep an eye out for his brother in hiding, just in case. Ginny bounced baby James on her hip and Teddy and Victoire toddled around the adults legs, bored and fidgety.

Hermione and Draco entered into the comfortable living room of Grimmauld Place, Hermione with her chin up and a smile in her eyes. Tonks and Ginny came to stand by her side, Ginny hip checking Draco to move out of the way. Sirius and Remus did their best to hide their anxiety for what was coming today.

From across the room, Sirius spoke aloud, "You don't have to do this Hermione. Sod the Wizarding World and their questions, and tell the Aurors to bugger off." Tonks glared at Sirius.

Hermione smiled at her father figure warily, " I know, Sirius. It's time though, and the Aurors agreed this was the best way to spot _him. _Harry will be doing most of the talking anyway since I _can't_ physically tell anyone what happened. The whole Order will be there and they set up a caterwauling charm just for Ronald. They won't get us unaware."

Sirius grumbled and took another swig of his tea spiked with Firewhiskey. Hermione scanned the room, catching Draco's intense grey eyes. He had already tried to talk her out of the Press conference, every day for a week and a half, pleading with her not to do it. Even Harry was against it, but his Auror team called his conflict of interest and he relented, knowing the conference was the best option.

Hermione's eyes settled on the other half of the Weasley family she hadn't seen. Fred and George winked at her, she'd been helping them develop charms for their new Yule line of joke products from the safety of Malfoy's home. There were a few burn marks in his family's thousand year old oriental rug, but other than that, no serious damage to his flat. They'd finished just in time to get the products moving so they'd be ready for families and Hogwarts students on break.

Hermione met Molly's eyes; they were watering and Arthur was clearly holding her back to keep from enveloping their son's victim in her arms. Hermione took a deep breath and smiled at Molly. She'd been so worried the matronly witch would blame her or not believe their story. Hermione initiated a hug with the Weasley matriarch, who started sobbing and holding onto the curly haired witch with all of her strength. "Molly you're crushing the girl" Arthur chuckled and patted Hermione on the back. Hermione then went to hug the Weasley brothers and Fleur.

Tonks held up her hand to quiet the room, "All right you lot, it's time." Tonks was dressed in her Auror robes and was responsible for escorting Hermione to the Ministry, along with a shaggy black dog and Draco Malfoy.

"Bill and Charlie you know your stations? You have been granted access to the Auror department to keep guard if that sodding git appears in his old place of work, or if he starts looking for those dark artifacts." Tonks spat and the trio nodded their heads, apparating away.

"Remus and Arthur you'll be in the Atrium by the connecting floos and on the periphery of the conference."

"Fred and George, you'll be constantly on the move, stay together but keep your eyes and ears open and alert."

"Fleur and Ginny you'll keep an eye out for Edgecomb, we haven't been able to track her down since the article was dropped, but she won't be able to miss this. She's worse than Skeeter." Ginny and Fleur, still somewhat at odds with one another, smiled half heartedly at the other.

Hermione smirked at the sound of Rita's name and the twins guffawed, they knew about her little stint of black mailing, for it was when they really decided to keep her as a sister. Draco's eyebrows rose, but she mouthed, "Tell you later"

Those three words calmed Draco's nerves; even if she didn't realize it, she was committing to be around after this conference, to not do something rash like give herself up to Ron. She had her fighting spirit back and was determined to finish this.

"The whole of the Auror's and trainees will be patrolling and guarding every part of the Ministry and it's surroundings. Hermione _will_ be safe. These are just extra precautions. There are anti apparition wards set up inside the Ministry, but not out. So if Ron shows up he has to get out the doors again to leave, and we will make sure that doesn't happen" Tonks stated authoritatively.

"Molly will be here with Andromeda to look after the young ones and make sure they stay out of trouble." Tonks' hard stare softened and she winked at her toddler who's hair turned pink briefly in return.

"Alright, let's get moving." Tonks clapped and the Order snapped into motion; time to get Hermione to the press conference.

**A/N: HI YES I KNOW IM SORRY AND I AM BACK! I am sorry I did not get to respond to any reviews from last chapter, it kills me, but I assure you I will be respond to all of the ones from this one. **

**Thank you so much for all of the encouraging words after my little announcment a few weeks ago! I have started writing again, and even working on a few other stories. The next chapter is already mapped out and I am almost done w Grad school final papers, so expect another one shortly :)**

**I hope you enjoy where this chapter went. I know it seems crazy, but its where my brain took me, and I thought we'd have a little fun with hermione's resurrection persay.**

**Will the Weasel show up next chapter?**

**Coming up in the story:**

**The Press Conference**

**Remus finds a cure for the block on legilimency**

**Draco &amp; Hermione heat up**

I LOVE YOU ALL AND please let me know how you felt about this installment - I struggled through it and have edited it at least twice, haha. Thanks everyone. wbm92


	17. Press Conference

**Chapter 17: Press Conference**

**December 1, 2001**

Seeing her on stage after the past two months was like a slap in the face. She looked healthy and confident, her eyes had the familiar shine to them that used to drive him crazy, the look that made him doubt whether he would ever be able to control her. He was shaking with fury watching her seek comfort under Malfoy's fucking pale, marked arm. Of course, she couldn't say much thanks to the Unbreakable Vow. He breathed in deeply and tugged on the vow with his magic, it was still strong. He watched as Hermione's eyes widened, startled, oh yes, she'd felt it.

He reveled in the look of fear that flash across her face. She knew he was here. He felt the anti-apparition wards when he walked in, so he knew he couldn't grab her, but he could definitely remind the little bitch who was in charge. He had a plan. Just because she now had the Order at her back, she would never be rid of him. He had allies the Order would never see coming.

The press conference went as he thought it would, Harry Fucking Potter doing most of the talking for Hermione Granger. Performing the spell to show it was _in fact_ Hermione Granger alive. The public, predictably, accepted their Golden Girl back with open arms. His new little partner Marietta was around here somewhere as well, he'd know the public wouldn't accept the lies, but it was the best way to push Hermione back into the spotlight. The more the public knew and the more frequent she was out and about, the more opportunities he had to strike.

Edgecombe had been easy to manipulate and easy to fuck; eager to get back at Hermione Granger. He'd had to ignore the pimples oozing from her forehead, but that was easy with a large enough blind fold on the witch. He'd get rid of her when her usefulness was no longer advantageous. Until then, he'd keep her around to warm his bed. The slut liked it rough, even got off on the stories of what he'd done to Hermione. Bitterness really had driven that bitch crazy. He smirked to himself. The press conference was wrapping up, and his Polyjuice potion was running out, just like he wanted.

He felt his frame shoot up, and the heard gasps around him as his hair changed from a dull brown to a bright red. Before he drew too much attention, he glanced at the stage. The fear in her brown eyes clashed with his smug blue, however her fear was understated, less than he expected. In fact, she looked infuriated and determined, something he thought he'd beaten out of her long ago…he was more furious than he ever thought was possible. The mudblood even had the nerve to raise her wand at him.

He took off, but first shot a dark curse at his old best friend, Harry Potter. He turned to run, after he saw Hermione's _protego_ protect her "brother". He relished in the fear he heard back in her voice as she yelled for Harry not to chase Ron.

Heading down, deep into the Department of Mysteries, he could hear the footsteps of several people behind him. He turned a corner and came face to face with his twin brothers.

"Oh, come now, not going to curse your own brother. All for the sake of a slutty mudblood like Granger?" he sneered at them. "I guess she couldn't tell you about all the ways I had her pussy? She practically begged me for it all the time."

He saw Fred and George's temper come to the forefront and grinned as he easily deflected their curses.

"Sorry, _brothers_, he sneered, but I'm really only looking for a fight with my old pal. I must be going."

"Over my dead body, Ron." Fred shouted.

"That can be arranged dear brother." Ron smiled. This was the part he loved, out-strategizing everyone who ever underestimated him.

A purple curse came from the right and hit George right in the shoulder. An affliction he'd seen on his mudblood in the Department of Mysteries years ago. Fred yelled and caught his convulsing brother, as Ron ran passed them.

"Dolohov, I believe Lupin and Black are heading this way, finish these two off before they come." He addressed the former Death Eater coming out of the shadows, with his long twisted face and nasty grin.

Fred stood up to fight, casting charms around his injured brother. Fred through down Peruvian Darkness Powder to give them a few extra minutes to recuperate. Smirking at the scene behind him, he kept moving down deeper, looking for the one room he wanted to set the stage in.

The air around him flickered and he smiled again, Lucius Malfoy, had been able to lower he anti-apparition wards. Hopefully the man got in a good curse at his son, or maybe he kidnapped his slutty wife again. He didn't really care as long as the bastard kept his word.

"Ron!" the angered yell came from around the corner. He had the Boy Who Lived right where he wanted him. They were almost to the Veil. The very place Sirius had almost fallen into fifth year. A curse shot at him from behind, a fucking stunner. The idiot.

Ron Weasley entered the dark room, lit up by faint magical lights coming from magical properties the Unspeakables were evidently working with.

"Weasley, turn around and face me like a man, you piece of shit." He heard Harry's voice crippled with rage. Just the way he wanted it, Harry's skills were always hindered when the he let his emotions get in the way, giving himself the advantage he needed to kill or seriously injure Hermione's best friend. She would literally walk into his arms, no fight left, this time and he'd take her somewhere she would never escape.

The redhead whirled around, deflecting another stunner. "Really, Harry. You'll have to do better than a stunner to end this." the monster sneered and sent a Crucio at his former friend.

Harry barely blocked it, his green eyes were wild. "See, have to go a bit darker, this is real now, isn't it. I suppose you're mad about what I did to the mudblood, hmm? Or is it guilt that's eating you alive? You worked with, hung out, invited me _into_ your home, comforted my poor self when I was _agonized_ over her disappearance, and the whole time, I was really fucking and torturing your dear, dear sister." the manic wizard laughed, a cruel hollow laugh and deflected a slighting darker curse coming from Harry's wand.

"Oh, now Auror's aren't supposed to use those, Harry." he chided, mockingly.

"Have you watched all the memories? Of course, some of the best one's weren't in the Penseive." Ron walked backwards closer to the Veil. Harry shot a blue curse at Ron, one that seared his shield, he was getting more unstable now.

"There was one time, she screamed so hard, her vocal chords were damaged for a week. I fucked her till she bled, and then left her there, too damaged to even cry. But, I know she loved every minute of it." Ron smirked and Harry yelled in anguish, and Ron found his opening, "_Crucio__" _

His spell hit the target and Harry went down, now silent, trying not to scream from pain, Ron upped the strength of the spell and Harry let out a scream of pain. "How does it feel, Harry? To think your goofy side-kick out smarted you this whole time. He levitated the limp man closer to the Veil, and kicked him hard in the ribs. All it would take now was one more kick and Harry Potter was gone forever.

He sent one more Crucio, laughing when Harry's eyes bulged out of his head in pain. Ron cursed as his concentration was lost by a slicing hex to the arm.

"Fuck." He turned towards the curse and saw a slightly bloody Sirius Black. "Not my other child, you fucking rat."

Harry was crawling away from the Veil, calling for back-up against his wand. Ron knew his time was running out, and located the Portkey he'd hidden in the corner of the room.

Sirius followed his eyes, realization hitting him. Black sent another Slicing Hex to try to stop him, but Ron dodged itand yelled, "_Accio _Portkey." The old comb flew into his hand, and he was wrenched away, but not before he heard Sirius yelling, "Get back here you fucking coward!"

Ron Weasley landed on all fours on the cement flooring of his hide out. Laughing in relief that he'd made it out, just as he'd planned. A few minutes later, Antonin Dolohov and Lucius Malfoy returned.

He was losing some blood from the slices but wanted to ask the damage his two new allies had inflicted, "Your brother the twin, will probably die from my curse, but Lupin and Kingsley came and put up a fair duel until I could get to my Portkey." Dolohov stated darkly.

Lucius smirked, "My son and his Mudblood,"

"She's MINE" Ron yelled

Lucius rolled his eyes, "They made a run for it, he was practically dragging her while she tried to come after you. I disabled the wards and then tried to pursue them, but was cut off by the werewolf's wife and Potter's whore. Potter's slut had a nice and luscious ass by the way, I woud've taken her for myself if I hadn't other business to attend to. I hit your sister with a strong dark slicing curse across the abdomen, one that could kill her, and ran after Black.

Your blood Traitor father was easily stunned when I turned the corner, and I dueled Black, knowing he was the wild card. We both got in some good curses, but not the outcome I wanted. The bastard transformed into a dog and bit my fucking leg before running off." Lucius sneered and showed the festering wound.

Ron frowned, hopefully the chaos they caused was enough to undo his already damaged target. He knew he had to get to planning something more destructive and hopefully permanent, right away.

* * *

**December 3, 2001**

Being out in public as Hermione Granger was bittersweet. Cameras flashed as Sirius tried to shield her from their intrusive gaze and shuffle her into the St. Mungo's private suite. She tried to not see her freedom as the cause of her friends' injury, but it was no good.

"How did the bloody paps get into the hospital? Is security being paid or not" Draco spat before taking Hermione into his arms and breathing in her calming scent. He'd hardly left the hospital in 48 hours, not trusting any one to oversee his friends and family. Draco placed his lips on her forehead, wanting nothing more than to take her lips.

"Draco, mate, it's alright. No one without proper access can get into this suite." Harry laughed from his bed.

"Oi, yeah! Especially since you won't bloody leave us alone." George joked from his own bed.

"Boys, be nice. It's not every day we see a Slytherin care so much about Gryffindors…oh wait…it is, now." Ginny laughed from her bed next to Harry.

Hermione giggled in Draco's chest. "Love, I think they are trying to tell you something."

Draco froze at her muffled term of endearment. She looked up into his face wide-eyed and he grinned down at her creeping blush.

"All you Gryffindor's can sod off." Draco grumbled half-heartedly.

"Go home and get some bloody rest. We are safe with Blaise and the rest of your team." Harry said, seriously, now. "You'll do no good if you're too tired and give George the wrong potion."

"Oi, why would he give _me_ the wrong potion, why not you?!" The redhead yelled indignantly.

"Because I'm the Chosen One." Harry grinned, wincing only a little at what the laughter did to his broken ribs.

A pillow flew at him from Ginny's bed, "Why they put us all in the same suite, is a bloody mystery."

Sirius laughed for the first time in days and finally went to sit by his godson. The older man had been struggling with seeing his son so close to the Veil and so broken by the Cruciatus Curse.

"James is doing fine, just misses his mum and Dad. He's been with Molly and the Lupins at Hogwarts. I think Molly is going to bring him by this evening." Sirius smiled.

Hermione hugged Draco around the waist, "Go home. I'll be there a little later, after I visit with this lot again." She smiled and raised on her toes to kiss his cheek. Draco looked conflicted until the whole room shouted "GO"

Blaise breezed in dropping a kiss to Hermione's cheek and smirking at Draco. Hermione and Blaise had taken to each other effortlessly, Blaise turning into the best gay Slytherin friend she'd never had. Blaise, knowing of Draco's long time love for the brunette, loved taunting his best friend.

"Get out, Draco. I've got this lot taken care of. I won't let you back in here for twelve hours, but I'll send your Princess back in two."

Hermione blushed and moved to hug Ginny, Harry, and George. Draco sighed and went to the locker rooms to clean up.

Blaise looked over George first, as his injuries had been the most dire. Hermione knew the ginger would sport a similar scar to hers. The twin was lucky Lucius Malfoy had dropped the anti-apparition wards, or he would not have made it. One of the only good things to come from that day, and the absolute shock of Dolohov and Malfoy Sr. showing back up after three years.

Ginny's slicing hex should have been easy to heal, but Malfoy had added a darker twist to it. It took Malfoy three different times to reverse various curses surrounding the slash, that kept reopening, but the Potter wife was finally healing properly.

Harry was kept on regular potions to restore his insides from the torture curse. Every tremor was a reminder of what Hermione had been going through for eighteen months, and Harry felt like it was his punishment for not seeing through Ron earlier.

Of course, when he deliriously mentioned it to his sister under the influence of some strong pain potions, Hermione threatened him for a good hour, saying if he continued that train of thought, she'd Crucio him herself. He'd merely smiled and said it was good to have her back.

Hermione knew everyone had been walking on eggshells, waiting for her to break, and while she'd cried alone in her Cloud, she'd also not let herself break. Her resolve only wavered slightly, but now she was to be strong for her friends; for the people who took those curses for her, willingly. She would not let them be hurt for nothing, The Morringtons, her parents, her family, and her friends would not suffer in vain.

Harry brought her out of her reverie, asking questions about her first play date with James as Aunt Hermione.

"He loved my hair of course," Hermione laughed. "Kept pulling on the curls and laughing when they bounced back."

"He already looks up to Teddy like a brother!" Hermione cooed and Harry and Ginny laughed, nodding along, " If Teddy plays with a Dimitri the Dragon, then James needs to play with Dimitri too. I had to duplicate it to avoid a fuss." Hermione laughed, sincerely.

The Potters smiled at each other, knowing how much her time with James meant to her.

"He calls me 'Mi. Which is better than Knee…which is what he started with." Hermione gushed and chuckled.

"Also, George. Fred, Katie, and Angelina will be here in a couple of hours. Angelina did fine at the joke shop, but said that since you forgot to clean the loos last time you were in, that you owed her a night of…well I don't think I can repeat it without blushing. " Hermione stopped, blushing anyway.

"Angelina should know, _that_ isn't a chore for me." George smirked, causing Ginny to groan from the other side of the room

"NEXT TIME, SEPARATE ROOMS!"

"Also, Hermione. Did Neville say they caught Edgecombe?"

Hermione smiled, " She was reprehended as soon as the cursing started. She was also under Polyjuice potion, but it faded away about the same time as your brother's. Neville just got permission to use Veritaserum on her…so hopefully that gives us some answers."

Hermione looked at Blaise, who was finishing his rounds, "How's Draco , honestly?"

Blaise failed to smile assuringly, "He's taking this pretty hard, dear. He's been tracking his father for ages, unable to find him. Narcissa was hysterical when she found out, and the put up more wards against Lucius. Luckily, Draco was already given the rights as Malfoy heir, so Lucius has no power there, but as we saw Wednesday, Lucius is very powerful." Hermione nodded sadly.

"He feels responsible in some way, especially since his father is obviously helping Weasley. Despite his reformation years ago, Draco is still a Slytherin, and we don't show our true feelings willingly, I only know how he's doing from knowing that git for years in school, and that man is brooding." Blaise sighed.

Harry nodded, "He won't hardly look Ginny or I in the eye. George only got him to smile once, and it hardly met his eyes."

Their conversation was interrupted by Remus dashing into the room past the hordes of photographers. He was clutching a book tightly in his hand, a conflicted look of trepidation and elation characterizing his features.

Panting, he dropped the heavy tome in Hermione's lap. "I've found a cure…for the Unbreakable Vow. It was in the Malfoy Library…of course." Remus panted again, " We could remove the whole thing…but Hermione…I don't know why we didn't think before…and I know you know the dangers…but we can remove it with…Blood Magic." Remus' words echoed in the deadly silent room, and then all hell broke loose.

* * *

**A/N: HEY EVERYONE! I'M BACK! Happy Holidays to you and yours. I hope you like this chapter…left you with a little bit of a cliffie…**

**CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! Yes, Lucius Malfoy is back…with a vengeance and a mean streak. As it Dolohov (He's ALWAYS creeped me out."**

**Let me know what you thought about the chap :) Thanks for the kind words from last chapter. You all make it worthwhile.**

**Also I only edited this once, so please excuse any mistakes, I just wanted you all to have this chapter ASAP :)**

**Much love - WBM92**

**I tried to answer everyone's reviews, but if you don't have messaging, I wasn't able to! But all of the reviews were so nice and great, and I loved reading your predictions, and the awful things you want to happen to Ron!**


	18. Scars

P**reviously…(aka forever ago because I'm the worst! I could give you my excuses, but…yeah they are just excuses. Don't stop believing in me!)**

_Their conversation was interrupted by Remus dashing into the room past the hordes of photographers. He was clutching a book tightly in his hand, a conflicted look of trepidation and elation characterizing his features. _

_Panting, he dropped the heavy tome in Hermione__'__s lap. __"__I__'__ve found a cure__…__for the Unbreakable Vow. It was in the Malfoy Library__…__of course.__" __Remus panted again, __" __We could remove the whole thing__…__but Hermione__…__I don__'__t know why we didn__'__t think before__…__and I know you know the dangers__…__but we can remove it with__…__Blood Magic.__" __Remus__' __words echoed in the deadly silent room, and then all hell broke loose. _

**Ch. 18 : Scars**

**December 3, 2001**

"No…no! Not a bleeding chance. Moony, what the fucking Godric is wrong with you?! That's my daughter you're talking about!"

"Blood Magic? That's serious stuff, Lupin. I mean if anyone could do it, it'd be you and Granger."

"NO!"

"Oh shove off all of you, it's not your decision, it's Hermione's!"

Ginny's statement was the only clear one, as the rest of the men took to shouting over each other, directly at the disheveled werewolf. Hermione had yet to say a thing, but couldn't help but wish Draco was here again, tucking her into his side. His silent calm would've been useful now…unless he decided to blow up like Harry — which was somewhat likely— although, Slytherins rarely yelled; they schemed and manipulated. She'd have to watch out for that.

Harry and Sirius' face were almost comically identical; red with anger and spittle flying from their sputtering mouths, as they tried to make their argument. Harry hadn't moved past yelling, "No!" over and over again, and Sirius had cornered Remus, who was doing his best to not smack his idiot friend upside the head.

It was Zabini who finally cast the silencing charms on Sirius and Harry; and if looks could kill, the Italian would be six feet under. "Why don't you take this conversation _out_ of my hospital and away from my patients? That at least gets rid of one affronted lion…can't say you'll be able to shake Black, though." The slytherin was still checking his patients, as if nothing had happened, but when he glanced at Hermione, he sent her a smirk.

"I'd suggest Hogwarts, Malfoy will be grumpy if you wake him up, and he's likely to get protective of you too, Granger."

Hermione nodded thankfully and sent a glare at Harry and Sirius, "I'm not agreeing to anything, yet, but I want to hear my options and look at all of the resources available. Remus, can we go to your quarters at Hogwarts?" She simultaneously took off the silencing spell for Harry and Sirius, who both sighed loudly, to indicate their resentment to the St. Mungo's healer.

Hermione sent them another fiery glare, warning them to leave Zabini out if it.

"Glare at me all you want, princess, but I will not stand aside and let you do something foolish and Dark." Sirius ground out. "Just let us find and kill the red-headed bastard, and then you'll be released from the Vow."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but Lupin stepped in, "Padfoot, I know blood magic is dangerous, but Hermione is brilliant and determined, and she deserves to know all of her options. It's better this way because she probably would've found this out herself and gone out and done something rash before talking to any of us about it." Remus concluded

"Hey! I would not have!"

All eyes in the hospital shot to her and she felt her cheeks heating up. As casually as she could she inspected her nails, glancing away from the smirks and knowing grins in the room.

"Glad you all have such a high opinion of me." she muttered, but knew they were right. Something like blood magic, if it worked, she probably would have kept it to herself so as not to worry anyone, or be discouraged by disapproving friends or fathers.

She huffed, "Let's just go…okay? Ginny, Harry, George — I'll be back to see you tonight or in the morning. Ginny, you and Harry are getting out tomorrow evening, right? And George, the day after next?" Blaise and his patients all nodded their heads.

"Great. See you lot later."

Hermione followed Lupin out with Sirius right by her side, they had to face the paparazzi once more to get to the apparition points. The curly haired witch felt giddy with excitement at the prospect of breaking the Vow, or at least freeing her memories to her peers. She felt she could help catch Ron, if she were able really speak about certain things, and write them down…maybe a pattern would appear or something would resurface that she'd forgotten.

* * *

Eight excruciating hours later, an exhausted and haggard Hermione Granger shuffled through the handsome floo of Malfoy's flat. Sirius' angry words and desperate pleas rang through her mind along with all of the facts and risks she'd absorbed in Lupin's office at Hogwarts. More than once, an angry house elf, Trudy, in charge of following the rambunctious Teddy around the magical grounds of Hogwarts when Tonks and Lupin were working, Trudy scolded Sirius no less than four times for almost waking "young mister Teddy" up from his afternoon nap. The last time Sirius' voice got too loud, the stern elf shot a stinging hex at the raven haired marauder and set up her own strong silencing charm around the office, before stalking away.

In less time than it took her to take heave an aggrieved sigh, another voice brought her attention away from the detailed oriental rug she had been half heartedly staring at.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?!"

Wide mahogany eyes shot up to take in one frantic Draco Malfoy. His silvery blonde hair was sticking out at all ends, he appeared rumbled like he'd just fallen out of bed, and his deliciously bare chest was on display, along with some treacherously low slung pyjama pants. Hermione couldn't help but gaze at the V that teased her, alluding to what she could only guess was an impressive —

"Hermione!"

Draco was apparently too panicked to realize she was blatantly ogling him. He shook his head and closed the distance between them, pulling her into a fierce hug. Hermione, still speechless, shivered as she felt his warm, lean body ripple against hers. She relaxed into his embrace, hardly able to fight the exhaustion she felt.

Draco ended the embrace, but still held onto her upper arms, gazing over her body to check for injury. When she didn't appear hurt, but still didn't say anything, he started again.

" Zabini said you'd be back in two hours, so I laid down to take a two hour nap, knowing I'd hear the floo when you came home. Then, to my horrific surprise, I woke up ten minutes ago after being asleep for almost _eight_ bloody hours, the flat is dark, and your room is empty." Draco breathed in sharply like he was reliving his fear,

"I checked every inch of this flat, and couldn't get ahold of Harry or Sirius via floo" he swallowed, "I was just about to send Prissy after you while I went to check St. Mungo's —"

Hermione's heart swelled with guilt, but also adoration at the sweet and vulnerable man rambling in front of her. She knew they were about to have a long winded talk as well, but for now all she wanted to do was erase his concern and fear, so she cut him off — with her lips.

Wrapping her arms around his neck and stand standing on her tip toes, she covered his full lips with her own. He stilled momentarily, apparently shocked. When she moved to suck on his bottom lip, he joined her with full fervor. His hand went from her upper arms, immediately to her scalp as he pulled her flush against him and moved her jaw so he could take the kiss deeper.

Her mind was simultaneously buzzing and blank, taking in sensations she hadn't felt in two years. Hermione couldn't believe she was kissing him, she felt powerful when he groaned into her mouth, the first kiss she'd wanted in two years, she'd asked for it and he'd willingly and happily given it to her. His actions made her feel safe and protected; it was obvious he was letting her set the pace.

She lightly traced his lips with her tongue, and he opened his mouth completely to her. He tasted like the sweet and toasty cappuccinos he made for her, and like pure seduction. Draco followed her cues as she gave them, and then took over to bring her the utmost pleasure. Her whole body was tingling like a live wire and she didn't want to stop. She whimpered as he nibbled her bottom lip and ran his tongue over it to soothe it. She gasped delighted when he let go of her lips and left a hot, wet trail down her jaw and sensually massaged her neck with his lips. Her hands wandered greedily over his bared chest and abs, touching and grabbing at his hot skin as his lips wandered just as hungrily to her collarbone.

She reached for the top of his pajama pants and he groaned as her fingers lightly traces the skin were in a haze of lust and attraction. Her sweet tasting skin was leaving Draco with little to no self control. His hands left her hair to wander with his lips, no words were said, and their ragged breaths were the only sounds filling the room.

His thumbs rested on her lower stomach as his hands wrapped around her her slim waist, leaving his fingers lightly skimming her back, right above the delicious bum he wanted to grab. The feel of her skin was addicting and he slowly skimmed her skin while lifting her shirt up with his hands.

His thumbs grazed over the jagged scab on her stomach.

Hermione gasped in pain, and Draco wrenched his body away from her as if burned.

The heat that was consuming her body seconds prior was now a cold and clammy sweat that covered whole body, as she paled with embarrassment and shame. She felt dirty and stained with _his_ mark on her body, his ugly, possessive, and cruel mark. Draco was disgusted, how could he want to be with her when that ugly mark, evidence of his control over her body for 18 months, was glaring angrily from her stomach.

She sunk onto the plushy couch, her head in her hands, trying to hide her misery and embarrassment. The sound of his pacing, back and forth, getting ready to speak and stopping himself multiple times, was the only sound filling the room, now. He probably thought she was a whore, throwing herself at him. Poisonous thoughts continued to litter her mind, the result of years of verbal abuse, telling her she didn't deserve happiness, and that she was a slut, a whore. Hermione could not bring herself to look up at Draco, afraid she would see a sneer and disgust shining in his eyes.

All in all, their passion had lasted all of three minutes, but she felt like three minutes was all it took for Draco Malfoy to realize she wasn't his 'little dove', but a broken, marred, and tarnished witch.

Two minutes of silence passed, and then she felt him kneel in front of her, his hands hesitantly touched her knee, scared she would flinch away. She couldn't believe he was willingly touching her again.

"Little dove, please" his voice broke. Hermione was mildly shocked to hear fear and concern in his quiet plea.

"Please, look at me." he was now lightly rubbing at her knees. Sad, cocoa eyes reluctantly looked up from her clasped hands and glanced down slightly at his kneeling position. She rubbed at her wrists nervously before she met his eyes, and almost visibly flinched at the brokenness she saw there.

"Draco" She croaked, "Please, I—" she didn't even know what she was trying to say to him. Beg him not hurt or reject her?

"Hermione, I'm so sorry, love. I didn't mean to lose control so completely, I didn't mean to hurt you or push you, after everything. I always want you to feel safe with me, I want to take care of you, if you'll let me, and I am so fearful I destroyed that trust tonight. I got caught up in the moment and didn't mind your boundaries, I forgot, momentarily, that bastard hurt you and left you with daily pain. I was caught up in your beauty, the noises you made, and the sweet, merlin, _sinful_ taste of your lips and skin. Dove, please don't give up on me." Draco pleaded.

Hermione looked on, stunned. She couldn't detect an ounce of disgust, and he was apologizing to her? Slowly the cloying fog of poisonous thoughts lifted as she considered his words. A fog that had taken place in her brain now when she was vulnerable, the threat of self doubt and self hate that years of conditioning had wired her brain into. Another, better thought was slowly becoming clearer, one that sounded like the old and the new Hermione Granger, not the captive, but the one who knew Draco Malfoy respected her, the logical one who realized what just happened wasn't something to hold herself back or feel disgust from.

Merlin, Draco was beating _himself _up over what just happened. Strong Hermione's voice rang more clearly in her head now, she initiated the kiss, they both had wanted it, and he got a little handsy. _She_ was being even more handsy with him, feeling up that hard and hot body, and the only reason their self loathing was happening now was because Ron fucking Weasley had tried to break her.

She wasn't dirty, she was a victim and a survivor, and with a clear mind she knew that Draco Malfoy, Harry, Ginny, Remus, George, Fred, and everyone else who mattered saw her the same way.

Her shoulders relaxed at her silent revelation, and she moved to kneel on the floor facing the man who looked ready to vomit with anxiety. Denim jeans scooted across that damned oriental rug, moving her closer so that their chests were merely an inch apart, their knees almost touching. She raised up and ran both of her hands soothingly through his silky hair.

"I know, Draco. Please, don't worry. I initiated the kiss because I _wanted_ to kiss you. We both got caught up in a moment, and you grazed on of many scars on my body. One that is less a scar and more a wound, currently, but I know now, I know with a clear mind, that you would never hurt me the way _he_ did." She gazed sincerely into his storm cloud eyes.

"Hermione, I — "

"Draco, I know I lost it for a minute there, but it's something I am still working through. When I am in a stressful situation it seems like I will immediately resort to the mindset I had for the last couple years. I was embarrassed and ashamed, and it took me a moment to realize that I was safe — I'm always safe with you." She whispered, a tear leaking from her big brown eyes as she smiled at him.

Draco's lips moved to tenderly caress hers, and Hermione's heart skipped a beat at the sheer adoration and gentleness she felt in his lips and touch.

He broke the kiss, but kept their faces mere centimeters apart as he breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank Salazar, I thought I'd lost you. I thought you'd be afraid of me, and I could not have bared to hurt you that way"

She wrapped her arms around his waist and he did the same. Her body slumped into his with exhaustion. After a few silent moments, Draco checked his clock and noticed it was past 8:00 pm. He was due at St. Mungo's at midnight for an eight hour shift.

"Let's get you some food, dove. You need a good rest." He said into her soft curls and kissed her temple gently.

"Oh, I'm alright I took supper at Hogwarts. " she said standing up with him. The thought made her pause, oh Godric, she still had to tell him everything. But, the way he was smiling at her, and the lightness in the room made her hesitate. It could wait until tomorrow, couldn't it? He had to leave for work soon anyway, and she didn't want to burden him with this yet.

An encouraging smile from her kiss stung lips dissolved his puzzled expression at her brief pause; she decided to do more of her own research tonight, and told Lupin the same before leaving Hogwarts, so what was the point of her telling Draco right away, when they were both so at ease with each other.

"You're surely starved, aren't you? How about I make you something to eat?"

Draco studied her a second longer before shaking his head, I think Prissy left something for us to heat up. How about you grab a bowl of ice cream and keep me company while I eat?" He leaned in again to steal a kiss from her lips, elated to have that privilege.

They both knew they would need to talk again about their relationship, but he held onto the memory of Hermione saying she wanted to give them a chance a few nights ago. Hermione nodded gleefully and moved to the kitchen, at Draco's protests, to serve them their respective meals. They chatted and ate, and Draco shuffled her into bed when her eyes started to close and her bowl of ice cream almost fell from where it was perched in her lap.

He set her book on her bedside table, not taking note of the title, and kissed her lips before returning to his room to dress in his Healer robes. He couldn't fight the silly grin off of his face even as he met Blaise at St. Mungo's to relieve him of his duties.

Blaise looked at him oddly, figuring Draco would be in a worse mood after hearing about Lupin's little plan, but was too tired to question his friends odd antics. He left the blonde wizard humming, _yes a Malfoy was humming,_ in the Healer's lounge. He needed a firewhiskey and a sleeping potion, _pronto_.

* * *

**A/N: Hi. Here is the next chapter and I hoped you liked it all right. I hope to update much sooner than last time (oops), I am so thankful for all of the readers and reviewers for this story! I love your reviews, and I am sorry I didn't respond to them from last chapter! I promise I will in this one because it motivates me to keep typing and produce another chapter for everyone!**

**Leave a review if you have any questions, comments, or just wanna say something nice :) It is all appreciated.**

**Next Chapter: We see what Ron is up to (that bastard)**

**Dramione action and convos**

**details on Lupin's discovery…**

**AND PROBABLY MUCH MUCH MORE because my brain is ridiculous and never stays on track…**

**love wbm92**


	19. A Giddy Slytherin?

Harry &amp; Co does not belong to me!

_Previously__… _

_He set her book on her bedside table, not taking note of the title, and kissed her lips before returning to his room to dress in his Healer robes. He couldn__'__t fight the silly grin off of his face even as he met Blaise at St. Mungo__'__s to relieve him of his duties. _

_Blaise looked at him oddly, figuring Draco would be in a worse mood after hearing about Lupin__'__s little plan, but was too tired to question his friends odd antics. He left the blonde wizard humming, yes a Malfoy was humming, in the Healer__'__s lounge. He needed a firewhiskey and a sleeping potion, pronto._

**Ch. 19 - A Giddy Slytherin?**

**December 4, 2001**

" I think Mafloy has been hexed, Harry." George whispered out of the side of his mouth. The room was still dark, the sun about to rise, and Draco Malfoy, former arrogant, cocky, git was whistling an old tune as he worked.

Ginny smirked at the two wizards as they watched Malfoy observe their healing injuries. She could take a guess at what that silly grin was about. She could also guess that Hermione had not told him about her new little research endeavor. Harry made eye contact with her and at the sight of her smirk, he narrowed his eyes back at the blonde. _That sly bastard._

"I've not been hexed you idiot. Can't a bloke smile at his favorite Gryffindor patients?" Draco laughed, giddily.

Harry's eyes almost bugged out of his head, _what in Merlin__'__s name? _He would be putting this absurd memory in his Pensieve at home.

"How's 'Mi?" Harry inquired, what he thought was nonchalantly. How could the Slytherin be so giddy when Hermione was considering Blood Magic? Had he agreed with her? He would've thought Draco would be pulling his hair out with worry. He saw Ginny shaking her head at him, but didn't register what she was trying to get across. He was momentarily distracted by her pretty long hair and flushed cheeks. What? They hadn't had sex in four days…sharing the hospital room with George was a total cockblock.

"She seemed fine when I left last night..almost fell asleep on top of her ice cream she was so exhausted." Draco chuckled fondly, before noticing the grinning faces around him. He tried to put a non-plussed facade back up, but had no luck when his cheeks tinged pink.

"And, you're not worried at all at the idea of her and Lupin getting into Blood Magic to break the Vow and the hold on her memories?" Harry asked skeptically, shooting Ginny a perplexed glance when she buried her head in her hands.

Freezing mid step, the giddy look in the blonde Slytherin's eyes hardened into something dangerous.

"_What?__"_ he spoke through gritted teeth and his hands closed into fists around his wand.

Harry, feeling like an idiot, finally understood Ginny's actions. The raven haired man was surprisingly relieved at his friend's sudden change in attitude, at least someone else would be able to _try_ to slow down this whole "blood magic" train, right? He wasn't almost placed in Slytherin for nothing, Harry knew how to play the hand he was just dealt.

"Hermione hasn't said anything? Maybe that means she's not going through with it. But, she seemed pretty invested in it when she left here yesterday." Harry acted thoughtful, avoiding the stares of his two "roommates".

"Potter, you better start explaining." Draco grit out as Zabini strolled in.

"Mate, you're needed down in the trauma ward. They've been calling your name the past three minutes." Zabini shook the rigid healer. Malfoy shot a deadly look at his friends before running out of the room.

The Italian glanced questioningly at the Gryffindors, but Ginny shook her head. "Riiiight, well a medi nurse is going to come release all three of you within the hour. I know we said tomorrow, George, but you are safe to leave as long as you _rest _and take your potions. Minimal activity for another week, and that does not include work, _especially_ the WWW."

George looked at the healer innocently, and the three Gryffindors nodded excitedly. They were ready to get out of St. Mungo's, hopefully before Draco's shift ended.

* * *

Five hours later, Draco stumbled through the floo, more unsettled than ever. His temper had been building over the last hours as his mind dwelled on the information Potter "let slip." How could she do this? How could she not tell him? He hadn't even asked her about what she was doing at Hogwarts last night, he'd been too relieved she was alright. And Lupin? What in Salazar's saggy left nut had he been thinking bringing it all up. Blood Magic was old, and most of the time, it was Dark. It was Blood Magic that put the hideous mark on his arm that bound him to that disgusting snake man.

It took Draco a several seconds before he realized something wasn't as it should be. He'd been ready to come through the floo and see his witch reading and researching, she was planning on going over to the Potter's later to play with Ginny and Jamie now that they were back at their home. However, the flat was dark, the shutters closed. It looked as if Hermione had not even gotten out of bed. She'd gotten in the habit of sprawling out on her stomach on that blasted oriental rug to read and take notes, she was also sometimes she was in the study, or set up at the kitchen table. When he finally realized she was always next to giant windows with plenty of natural light, it made his heart ache.

He took this all in in a matter or seconds before actively listening for the sound of ruffling pages or the tap tapping of anxious fingers against mahogany. There was nothing…except — was that a sniffle? Without thinking twice, he followed the sound that reverberated in his flat, straight to Hermione's room. The door was cracked, and the room was dark, no sun shining through. He could barely make out her curled up position in the bed, she looked so small.

He took off his shoes and shed his healer robes to the comfortable trousers and tshirt he wore. It looked as if she was asleep, but her eyes were puffy. His anger immediately faded away, how could he let himself put _more_ pressure on this witch. Small tears were leaking out of her closed eyes, but her breaths were deep and steady. He hesitantly crawled onto the bed, and went to stroke her hair and soothe her dreams. As soon as he got close, she moved in her sleep to cling to him, burying her head in his chest.

His heart fluttered. He stroked her soft hair with a shaky hand , the ends of her hair were damp from her tears. Suddenly he was exhausted, without the anger and stress pulsing through him, his body slumped and wrapped more snugly around the snoozing witch. They would still be having a talk — but he was all out of fight, he couldn't bring himself to be another stressor in his witch who was trying to heal and stand up for herself.

* * *

He awoke to the delectable feeling of soft lips pressing into his neck. Light and teasing hands were sneaking under his soft tee, tracing the outline of his chest and stomach. He groaned as he felt himself become steadily harder. A light giggle had his arms reaching out to grab the culprit. He smiled, eyes still closed as his arms pulled the small waist closer to his, her breath was coming out in sweet puffs on his face. He cracked open one grey eye and was met with the sight of his rumpled witch smiling slightly at him.

"Don't poke the bear, love. I bite." His voice was husky from the deep sleep of his nap. He nipped lightly at her nose before kissing it lovingly.

"Oh yes, you are so scary, Draco Malfoy. I had to wake you up, you were drooling on my lovely pillows." She teased and opened her mouth wide making gurgling noises in her throat to imitate him.

"I do _not_ drool." Malfoy refuted snootily causing Hermione to burst into another fit of giggles. He crossed his arms above her, squeezing her body closer to his while she laughed. He released her quickly when she tried to roll off of him, and watched her warily as she sat on the bed giving him a mischievous smirk. Wary contemplation was interrupted when she snatched the pillow out from under him, causing the Slytherin to yelp dramatically as his head hit the soft mattress underneath.

Hermione's head was over his again, but this time holding a pillow sheathed in a light blue pillow case, she was pointing to a small dark puddle on the pillow and grinning at him triumphantly.

Draco looked at the puddle and then back at his cheeky witch. "I did not do that, you framed me. I do _not _drool."

Hermione giggled, "Oh yes, the infamous Drool prank of 2001 pulled off by flawlessly by Hermione Jean Granger!" she was making fun of him, he knew. "Draco, love, if I was going to prank you it would not be framing you for drooling."

He'd had enough of her laughing_ at _him, though it was a beautiful sound, so he pounced at her, and began tickling her sides. "You cheeky witch, I've had enough of your attitude this afternoon."

He realized she was not tense at all by his position over her, so he quit tickling her to smile down at the temporarily carefree Gryffindor.

"Merlin, you're gorgeous." He breathed before he lowered his lips to hers, quickly opening her soft mouth to his so he could taste her. She moaned and moved underneath him. He stopped to look down at her, checking for signs of stress, but she just smiled at him and grabbed him by the neck to pull him down for more. They spent another ten minutes kissing lazily in her comfortable bed. Hermione rolled them so that she was on top of him, and when he squirmed a bit to get situated, he heard the crinkling of paper.

They both paused, and Hermione's eyes went wide. One of Draco's arms reached behind him to snake underneath the pillow and grab the piece of parchment that was for some reason in her bed. Hermione jumped off of her position on Draco and tried to take the parchment from him.

"Draco, please. Give that to me" Her voice sounded frantic. His brows furrowed and lips pursed, about to hand over the letter when he noticed the sloppy, thick writing. He knew that writing from months of hanging around the Potter's, a tawny barn owl always delivered the Weasel's whiney messages that complained about something or other to his sister or best friend.

His fist closed around the letter and Hermione closed her eyes in defeat, "Please, Draco. Don't do anything, rash. I'm still — " her voice was choked off and Draco recognized the sound from whenever she was threatening the bounds Unbreakable Vow. He swore loudly, dropping the letter like it was infected with a love potion from Dolores Umbridge.

As soon as he dropped the letter, he shot up out of the bed and stormed fromt he room. He needed to cool off and didn't want to scare Hermione.

She padded after him, "Draco, please! I'm sorry! I wasn't going to do anything, I was trying to figure out a way to talk to you and the Order but I was distraught and fell asleep, and when I awoke I felt so warm and safe in your arms that I forgot my worries. I wasn't going to do anything like — like last time" Her voice sounded weak and nervous. He knew she was alluding to when she almost let herself drown, giving up.

He swiftly turned to her, and caught her in an embrace. She relaxed into his arms and he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm not mad at you, I just need a minute to cool down. I know I have a temper, but I will never punish you for it and I would never want you to be afraid of me." He breathed onto the crown of her head

"But, bloody hell, dove. Why would you open that letter alone? What if he had cursed it? What if it had been a portkey? I can't lose you again, little dove." Draco's worry was almost tangible as it tumbled out of his mouth.

Hermione gasped, "How could I not think of that? I checked for curses, but I didn't even consider that fact that it could be a portkey."

Draco rubbed her back, "Please, don't open any mail from anyone thats not in the Order when you are alone. He could hide undetectable curses, Weasley's darker than we all thought."

The blonde moved them both to the sofa, Hermione tucked into his side. It was taking all of his patience to not pry that letter out of her hands and read it. She turned it over in her hands once more before looking up at him in trepidation. Her face was grim, but her chocolate eyes were filled with anger and determination. "Promise me you won't do anything rash? I need to discuss something with you that relates to the content of this." She shook the letter once more before incinerating it with her wand. Draco nodded approvingly, they didn't want to take any chances.

Draco knew where this was going, his mind had already come back to it with the reminder of the Vow.

"You're talking about the Blood Magic you want to do…" Draco spoke sullenly.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her position under his arm and looked up at him timidly, "You know about that?" she whispered

"Yeh. I was going to come home and really lay into you about keeping it from me and putting yourself in danger, but then you looked so small and your eyes were puffy from crying, and I couldn't bring myself to make your stress any worse." He spoke quietly, stroking her cheek.

"Well, that's the thing…I uhm…Remus found some information about it to break the…" she couldn't say it but he nodded at her, " I was going to research it more and didn't want to ruin how happy we were last night. But now, I _have _to Draco…I _have _to do it or I could —" She choked on her words again and Draco stiffened under the implications.

"Is that what that _rat _sent to you? Reminding you of the _parameters_?" Draco spat and all she could do was stare up at him, he could see her trying to fight the fear out of her expression.

"I don't have a choice anymore…if I want to stay alive when this is all over." She spoke as vaguely as possible, but with enough meaning for him to understand what she was getting at. Weasley had bonded her to him with the vow, his death meant hers. Ronald Weasley was never going to let her go.

"But, love." His voice cracked under the weight of his sudden fear, " It's _Unbreakable_, what if this doesn't work?! The only thing that could even contend with it is some very old and ancient magic, from before the time the spell was created."

Hermione nodded, "But, what do I have to lose now? If we can't — well I'll die anyway." she ended in a whisper. She hugged herself into his warmth, both trying not to show the other their fears.

"You think he'd take his own life before going to Azkaban? Just to spite you, and all of us?" Draco asked quietly a few minutes later. He felt her nod her head into his chest. His thoughts of killing the Weasel slowly now made him nauseous when he realized it would also end the life of his love. This unstable ancient magic was going to be the only option then, because he still wanted to be able to kill Ronald Weasley…slowly and painfully.

"We need to go to the Manor then. We need all of the information we can get, no loose ends, minimize risks, and maximize results." He spoke determined. Hermione perked up at the thought of finally going to the infamous Malfoy Library

"We have books there from the first lines of Malfoy which were thousands of years ago…whatever Lupin found in Grimmauld Place, there will be more of at the Manor." He chanced a glad down at the witch in his arms and saw her grinning up at him.

"You aren't even afraid anymore before you are so happy about seeing the Manor Library." He realized incredulously. She nodded at him and her pulled her up to straddle his lap.

His hands gripped her waist lightly and he stared at her flushed face, filled with a plethora of emotions, but her eyes were shining bright when she looked at him. She gave him a sultry smile and rotated her lips on his lap, he groaned.

"You cheeky little dove. Does the thought of my library make you panties more wet than if I did this?" his voice lowered into something dark and sinful. His hands slid up the tights she was wearing, under her flowy skirt. She gasped and shivered as his hands ascended, his thumb meeting lightly at the apex of her thighs.

He pushed done thumb down and his eyes rolled into his head at heat and dampness that met him. Hermione moaned brazenly and pushed into his thumbs, the cotton material of her tights dampening as she tried to grind on his thumb.

Smirking at her, he pulled his thumb back and chuckled at her indignant squawk.

"Ah ah ah Hermione. First you have to answer the question, _correctly._" He smirked darkly at her, her eyes were shining with lust and her mouth was partially parted. He stole a searing kiss, plundering his tongue into her mouth, his arms snaked up under her shirt and teased the underside of her bra. His fingers itched to touch her bare nipples, but he settled for over the clothes touching, not wanting to push her.

His thumbs swiped over the material of her bra, feeling her nipples pressing hard against it. She shuddered. "You are so damn responsive" He whispered into her ear, sucking on her earlobe.

"How does this feel, dove?" he whispered.

Her answer almost made him come right then, "Merlin, so fucking good, Dra-co." she was breathless in his arms.

His thumbs swiped across her lace covered nipples again, "I can't wait to taste these Hermione. I'm going to taste every inch of this body, starting with these" He growled and grabbed both of her breasts into his large hands, squeezing and kneading them expertly.

"Please, Draco." She whimpered and ground on his lap again. His mouth was ravaging hers and moving to suck on that sweet spot between her ears and neck. Her hands were pulling in his hair, and her hips were grinding harder into his. She grabbed his hand and tried to bring it back down to her tights, slipping it back under her skirt. She was soaked through her panties and tights, but couldn't give a damn because she had never felt this much passion and pleasure.

His thumb stroked where he knew she wanted it best, her cotton covered center was enticing, he wanted nothing more than to pull her tights down and push her skirt up to taste her wetness, but he was going to wait for that.

Pulling his hand back he clucked his tongue, Hermione was in a haze of lust and looked at him with glazed eyes. "You still haven't answered my question yet, Miss Granger." He joked, putting his damp finger into his mouth, he got a muffled taste of her sweetness, but it was masked by the taste of the fabric between them.

"You haven't bloody asked me anything, yet!" She pouted and ground on his lap once more, causing him to grit his teeth in pleasure. Her smirk rivaled any Slytherin's.

He grabbed too handfuls of her perfect ass, and held her to him. "I believe I did, baby." she just looked at him dazed as he kneaded the flesh of her bum, "Does the thought of my library get you more wet than my touch."

She looked at him, her mouth agape. He could see her trying to decide if she should be cheeky with him, he smirked internally knowing she was debating her snark in favor of his touch.

"Answer _honestly_ and _correctly_, my dear." He murmured, his large hands now rubbing up and down her thighs.

Hermione huffed and tried to wriggle her hips once more, taking her own pleasure, but Draco's grip was too strong and she barely moved an inch. He raised an eyebrow at her, one of his hands snaked up to her bra covered nipple and began stroking again, teasingly. She moaned and slumped into his touch, "you - you get me so wet, Draco. Nothing else." She finally moaned, giving herself over to the pleasure.

That was all he needed before he brought both hands back to her ass and started grinding her roughly against his hard member. The friction was delicious and tantalizing. Their breath started to pick up as he rubbed her damp center against his, she thanked Godric she was wearing a thinner material than jeans when she her clit rubbed against his member again, her sensitive nipples were raking against the lace in her bra and he pushed her chest against his.

His mouth was sucking on and nipping at her neck, leaving her mouth open whimper and moan as she got closer to her climax. Finally, finally, his hand went back to her center, rubbing rough circles around where she was most sensitive. The constant friction, his touch, and the mouth at her neck all at the same time had her trembling and pleading incoherently.

"That's it, love. come on, we're so close, love." he was whispering sinfully against her neck. He was pulling her harder into him as he thrust up into her. Part of him couldn't believe he was essentially dry humping the witch of his dreams like a teenager, but it was so hot and felt so good that he continued on more than just pleased.

He felt her whole body begin trembling violently, just as he didn't think he could keep from coming in his pants another minute. He pushed his thumb harder into her clit and thrust up into her, grinding her down on him. "Let go, Hermione. Now. I've got you."

The moans and whimpers ceased as her body released her orgasm. Her mouth was open in a silent moan, her chocolate eyes were lidded and the flush in her face was gorgeous. She was the most sexy thing he could ever imagine — he released his load into his pants watching her ride out her orgasm.

She slumped into him, her now clammy arms coming around his neck to pull herself closer into his chest. They were both breathing hard. Hermione had her ear to his heart, listening contently as the quick beats slowed, it was so relaxing she almost dozed off again, but she didn't want to miss a minute with this man.

She sat up, to meet his eyes, but his head was dropped back on the sofa, a content and lazy grin covered his porcelain face. He heard her move and perked his head up a bit to see what she wanted. She smiled at him as his hands stroked her sides lovingly. Neither could quite get over that amazing little preview into what could happen between them. Draco reached for his wand and whispered cleansing spells on the both of them, so that they could relax longer and not worry about being sticky.

Hermione giggled again after some time and he peaked up at her once more, to see her sitting up in his lap twisting her fingers together. She had the definition of sex hair, her blouse was still wrinkled and her short navy blue skirt was flowing over the both of them.

"So…does this mean I am meeting your mother when we go to the Manor?"

He barked a laugh, "Yes, love. How about I introduce you as my sexy as hell, brilliant, strong girlfriend, Hermione fucking Granger."

Her eyes widened happily as she let the word 'girlfriend' roll around her busy brain, and he waited with baited breath for her response.

She simply smiled and nodded before answering, "My middle name is Jean."

* * *

**A/N: Whew! How was that folks? Things are progressing and it didn't take me 3 months to get this out! Woohoo! I keep meaning to put more in here, but then I get distracted and expand a scene. Which is fine because that means you get more! I hope that little lemon was okay for everyone? I intend to write more, but I am not very experienced in writing them! It is harder than it looks, people! Also thank you to all of the reviewers, I responded to the ones that let me! Thank you to the two Guests who reviewed as well!**

**Leave me a review and tell me what you thought! Also, those who leave a review get sexy neck kisses from Draco in the Malfoy Manor Library! ( that could happen, right?)**

**How will Harry and the Order respond to the threat from Ron? Is it true? If he dies will she die? When are you going to tell us about the Blood Magic? Soon! Its very risky so it takes time! When is Ron going to get his ass kicked?! (not that soon…sorry! But eventually!**

**Are there any characters you'd like to see more of? Sirius? Harry? The Twins? Ginny &amp; Jamie?! Let me know and I can write some more scenes with them!**

**Thank you, readers! You make this so much fun! - wbm92**


	20. The Aftermath of the Letter

I own nothing to do with Harry Potter &amp; Co.

**Chapter 20: The Aftermath of the Letter**

**December 4, 2001**

_East Ukraine, Dolohov castle_

Antonin Dolohov landed easily, releasing Lucius Malfoy and Ron Weasley from his grasp. The trio were upon their new secure hide out after apparating sporadically through Europe so as to not draw any strange attention by using an excess of Magic.

The tall man with the dark twisted face looked around at the run down grounds of his ancestral home. He was the last Dolohov, and therefore was privy to their many holdings throughout England and the older ones in Eastern Europe.

They were to stay isolated for the time being, to plan and hide out. The location was un-plottable, and the lands were old, one of the last he'd think Auror's would investigate. They were far enough from London where one apparition from here to their would require a lot of magic and focus. They would move closer when ready to strike.

Dolohov sneered inwardly, hating the red headed wizard in their company. He knew Weasley was using Lucius and himself for their plethora of connections and resources. However, the thought of revenge was too great to turn down when approached. He didn't trust Malfoy or Weasley, but knew they were all using each other for the other's aims and promises. Weasley was caught in a downward spiral, in fact they all probably were.

Dolohov had no fanciful ideas of gaining immense power, neither did Lucius or Weasley, that would be a suicide mission worse than the Dark Lord's. No. They all knew they were most likely going to be, at best, living in hiding the rest of their dark lives, caught and sent to Azkaban, or killed. Up against a wall, he knew they'd come to the unspoken understanding that without anything to lose, there was _plenty_ to take. Love, Happiness, family, security, dignity, pride, health, and _life. _

The greedy and calculating look in the red-head's eyes and the constant burning anger coming off of Lucius Malfoy brought Dolohov to the conclusion that whether caught, killed, or on the run, the three of them would do some glorious, irreparable damage to those in London who had dared make them their enemy.

* * *

_Same Day, Evening- London_

Harry's eyebrows rose from the sofa he was currently lounging on when Hermione &amp; Draco walked easily through the floo connected to the Potter's current quarters at Hogwarts. Although Harry longed to be at his home in Godric's Hollow, he knew it was too dangerous considering Ron was a secret keeper to the Fidelius Charm. None of their safe homes, aside from Draco's flat, was immune to Ron. Even Molly and Arthur were currently residing in Bill &amp; Fleur's new home, one that Ron had not deemed to visit before his disappearance.

Sirius Black and the twins were the only ones one who could not be swayed to leave their homes. Sirius had sworn up and down, stating that he _hoped_ Ron came looking at Grimmauld Place. Fred and George had merely grinned and said they had plenty of booby traps set up around their shop and flat waiting for Ron to trigger. Both Fred &amp; George's live in girlfriends, Katie &amp; Angelina, respectively, barely bat an eye at staying with their boyfriends. The feisty former Quidditch players stated they had more than enough reassurance with what the twins put in place.

Harry was surprised to see the couple holding hands, Harry had expected Draco to come through blazing like hell fire, ready to make a plan to keep Hermione from going through with her and Lupin's dangerous scheme. He took a moment to study their faces, their body language indicated a new closeness, however there was a tightness around both of sets of eyes.

Ginny walked out from their bedroom, just now showering off the feeling of hospital. Jamie was apparently still with Tonks while the Potter's rested their injuries another night. Harry hoped to take advantage of their alone time, despite their sore and bruised bodies…maybe they could take a long bath togeth—

"What do we owe the pleasure?" Ginny interrupted his thoughts and came to sit down next to him.

Draco and Hermione dropped down into the garish love seat, and Hermione immediately tucked herself under the blonde's arm, and, to Harry's surprise, rested her hand on his torso. Harry narrowed his eyes at his friend who smirked back until it gave way to a genuine smile. Harry was happy for whatever was going on, but he was going to have to have the big brother talk with him…hmm maybe he should get Sirius involved, they could all use some additional happiness now.

Hermione's emotional amber eyes urged Draco on, "you better tell them…considering I can't."

A small warm hand grasped his own, and Harry pulled Ginny into his side kissing her temple. Although she hid it well, Harry knew she was not handling the situation well. Sometimes he could almost feel her guilt, due mostly to the fact that it was so similar to his.

"Tell us what?" Harry prompted, cold dread pooling in his stomach.

Draco sighed and began to discuss the events that took place earlier that afternoon. The bastard sent Hermione a letter…he bound her life to his…Hermione had no other choice but to dabble in ancient magic. Harry and Ginny shared a look, silently agreeing that yes, if backed into a corner, Ronald Weasley would take his own life to spite them all…to take Hermione with him one last time.

Sighing dejectedly, Harry slumped forward, burying his shaggy head in his hands. He heard the sound of Hermione stand and felt the warmth of her body situated itself between Ginny and himself. One arm was wrapped lovingly around his shoulder, and one look told him her other was comforting his wife. He heard Draco stand up and move to their kitchen, presumably to make tea.

"We have to talk about this, you two. You cannot go around telling me to believe in myself, let go of my guilt for bringing you into my mess, and to be strong — when you both are drowning in your guilt. This is _his_ fault. No one else's. No one could have known he would do what he did to me, and I wouldn't want you living your life without love and trust. I know this is a major setback to our psyche, but you can't give up on those around you and those you love just because one of our own betrayed us."

Harry smiled into her bulky sweater, his Hermione was definitely here with them. And she was right.

" I think we all have some emotions to worth through, and it will take time to do that." Ginny murmured and Hermione agreed with a nod.

"The best thing we can do right now is talk with each other; we all tend to harbor more than we should on our shoulders —"

"You are all such sappy Gryffindors." Draco returned with the tea tray, lightening the morose atmosphere.

"It is a good thing we have such a cold dastardly Slytherin in our midst then, right, stud?" Hermione quipped, tilting her chin up to receive a peck on the lips.

The blonde smirked, " I rather like you addressing me as such, my love. Please, feel free to continue. I also appreciate, Oh Great One, Savior of Shagging, and My Glorious Godly Gentleman."

Hermione burst out laughing, "I'll keep that in mind, Drake."

Draco's smile faded into a petulant scowl, " Don't call me Drake. It makes me sound like a like a ponce."

Harry opened his mouth, the corners already turning up in a smile. "Don't you start, Potter."

Hermione moved back to the other sofa, marveling at the fact that she felt so warm and safe with Draco Malfoy, the bouncing ferret — the thought made her giggle. She felt him looking down at her, a small adoring smile on his face, but his brows were lifted in question.

"I just remembered an old nickname, Oh Great One." Hermione purred and Draco shifted in his seat, Hermione could have sworn she saw him slyly adjust himself. _Men._ "The Amazing Dancing Ferret."

Harry and Ginny sniggered and Draco dove in, lightly tickling his witch's side and planting light, feather kisses on her neck. The couple were oblivious to Harry slightly uncomfortable but happy smile for the couple. Hermione yelling "uncle" and squirming away from the Slytherin's surprisingly long and tenacious fingers were interrupted by the entrance of the two living Marauders.

Sirius grunted at the sight of his adopted daughter wrapped around his pale relative. He moved closer to the untangling couple and lightly shoulder checked the blonde out of the way to lean down and embrace the petite witch. Even though the Black patriarch was frustrated with his daughter, he couldn't bring himself not to savor every moment he had with the young witch he'd missed so fervently.

"Are you still cross with me, Siri?" It was a name only she could call him, and he knew she only used it when she wanted to soften him up.

"Yes, you silly witch, and I am even more incensed with that werewolf I used to call my best mate. Also, you smell like ferret now." He grumbled before releasing her and nodding at the Malfoy heir. Sirius had a newfound, outward respect for him since he'd saved Hermione from herself in the tub, and after so fervently healing Harry after the Ministry debacle.

Sirius turned finally to see Harry and Remus speaking in hushed, fervent tones. Ginny was fidgeting her on the couch, her hands clasped and unclasped. The canine marauder narrowed his eyes at the red head, for Harry's confident wife rarely fidgeted, she was one of the few people who was as comfortable in their skin as he was.

Remus' paling face was another indicator of something amiss. He heard Hermione sigh behind him, "well you can't actually be mad at me anymore, Siri. I don't really have another choice."

Sirius tensed under his leather jacket. He spun back around to face the cozy couple, and glared at Malfoy, as he was the most satisfying character to be unrationally angry at in the room.

"No way, Potter. You get to tell the the lose wand firer. I did my deed and told you both. Black can't hex you." Draco voiced with false bravado, he would never admit that the Marauder still somewhat intimidated him..Blacks were crazy…but don't tell his mum he said that.

"Get talking, Harry. Or Remus, why don't you since it seems my godson has already started to fill you in." Both wizards' shoulders slumped in defeat.

"We're going to have to have an Order meeting. But it will be best to be able to present them with some research." Remus spoke to Hermione who nodded. Draco clasped her hand and spoke up, "We are going to the Manor in the morning. I'm sure we can find something useful there."

Sirius temper was building, he didn't like being spoken around. He would've laughed at Mooney's disappointed face at having to work while they perused ancient texts of the Malfoys, but alas, he was still angry.

"I thought better of you Malfoy than to go along with this dangerous Bloody ancient unstable magic load of croc. I thought you really cared for her." Sirius lashed out.

"Now listen here, Pads . I don't like what you're implying." Remus spoke up,

"You think too logically to have considered Hermione's well being before you ran in here giving her hope about using Dark magic!" Sirius spun and roared at his long time friend.

"And you wear your heart and temper on your bloody leather sleeve! If you had waited one _bleeding_ minute before losing your cool and insulting half the room, you would have learned what Harry was telling me. We. don't. have. a . bloody. choice. Sirius." Remus' face was blotchy with hurt and anger

Harry had his hand on his former professor's shoulder, trying to steady him. Ginny stood up, her eyes flashing, "Sirius, we all want what is best for Hermione, now that we have her back. Please, do not doubt that. Ron," She spat the name, "sent Hermione a letter today, none of us could read, but what Draco figured out without triggering the vow was that Ron warned her of a stipulation he added. If he dies, she dies also. We believe that if the Vow is not severed, that if caught, or cornered, Ron will end his life and take Hermione with him." Ginny's voice wavered at the end.

Sirius sunk onto the arm of the sofa Hermione and Draco were occupying. It was one of the rare moments wh 1ere the Marauder looked every bit as haunted and ragged as he had after escaping Azkaban. He sighed, placed a chaste kiss on the top of Hermione's head whispering a quiet apology into her hair, and made a haggard move towards the floo, he was about to lose his temper and the attic of Grimmauld place still had a lot of old, dusty furniture and vile portraits for him to blast apart with his wand.

0o0o0o0o

He could have cursed Tonks for expertly warding his liquor cabinets. She'd had to about a year ago when Sirius started drinking even heavier to cope with Hermione's disappearance. The wizard had hid his problem well from his godson who was running himself ragged looking for his best friend, Sirius begged Tonks and Remus to keep his actions a secret, claiming he was going to quit drinking, but also making light of his tendency to pass out in alley ways, wake up in Muggle jail, or get in fights with wizards and muggles twice his size.

Six months into his binge, Remus found his best friend laying on his back, passed out, and choking on his vomit. Acting fast, he'd turned his friend on his side and magicked away the vomit that had been effectively drowning him. That was the last time, before today, that he had seen Moony raging mad at him. He'd threatened to bring Harry over and show him what Sirius had been getting up too, how pathetic and weak he looked after his brush with death.

Sirius had stewed in his room for hours until the door burst open again, this time with a blazing mad Tonks. Something small and metal hit him in the head; it was the keys to his motorbike.

"You fucking drove last night, and it looks like you killed a cat. It's flattened just down the way, and its orange fur matches the one your tires. It was the stray that you've been feeding your breakfast too when you decided to drink instead, my guess is that she was waiting for you out front, but you ran her over instead. What if it had been an animagus? Or a person? Merlin you better shape up, Sirius. Because if you're still like this when we get Hermione back she's going to be so disappointed.

Sirius ran to the bathroom and threw up, for the first time that day it wasn't from his hangover.

That had been the last time he'd gotten drunk. Resisting the drink was tough after that and he'd stayed away for an six additional months. He'd determined that he probably wasn't an alcoholic, but his tendency to drink away his hard emotions would probably give a therapist much to work with. He could indulge in a glass or two every now and then, but he hadn't let himself get drunk again, since then. Until now, that is.

After flooing to the Leaky Cauldron, since his own liquor cabinet was closed to him, he drank firewhiskey for hours, until he couldn't feel the rage, pain, and guilt that was consuming him. Rage and pain for his dear Hermione, and guilt for lashing out at his friend and family. What good could he really do for them? He was kidding himself, thinking he was a father figure to Harry and Hermione.

Sirius' drunken stupor was so thick, that he didn't notice the strange Russian wizard in the corner, watching him beadily. Had Harry been with his godfather then, he may have recognized the wizard as the one Ron was conversing with in Knockturn Alley weeks ago.

Sirius felt a vague sense of panic when he realized how drunk he was. He thought of his motorcycle, the orange fur in his wheels, the look of rage in Lupin's eyes and the disappointment on Tonks' face. And then he saw Hermione and Harry's concerned looks in his mind, no doubt worried about his drunkenness. He was a selfish bastard, but not stupid enough to make the exact same mistake twice.

"Tom, I need a room." He slurred and tossed twice as many gallons at the barkeep than was needed. Tom smiled and handed him a key. "Atta boy, Black. Go sleep it off."

Sirius stumbled up the stairs, passing the corner that held the watchful wizard.

"Oi." Sirius yelped suddenly, slapping his hand to his head. The spot itched with residual pain and he rubbed out the strange feeling before continuing up the stairs. He fell face first on to the hotel bed, almost immediately passing out, cold. When the older wizard awoke in the morning, he held only a hazy memory of his final hours at the Leaky Cauldron. He could only be glad he hadn't hurt anyone but himself last night, and that all he was left with was a killer hangover.

* * *

**AN: Ah, here it is! I hope you enjoyed it! I am trying to stay regular updating, I think this is an improvement on being away three months, no? I hope all of you are doing wonderfully. Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and especially thank you to those who reviewed, especially those who mentioned wanting to see some Snape, or Zabini, I will definitely work on that! You are the BEST! Things are about to start really picking up, I know the past few chapters have been a little slower, but we had to get Hermione settled and relationships built. Please stay with me :)**

**Those who review get to hug a sad werewolf and reassure him that Malfoy Manor library was the shit, but that he could definitely go with Hermione and Draco next time! ;)**

**PS. I will respond to reviews this time, I lost track and wasn't able to do so this time, but I love talking with all of you! **

_**PPS. Alcoholism is a serious issue not to be taken lightly. Sirius has a drinking problem, yes. Please know I am not being insensitive to those have an addiction to alcohol and are involved in that daily, hourly struggle, or those you have special people in their lives that struggle with the same. Sirius went through a period of time where he used alcohol to cope with his emotions, but he is not an alcoholic in this fic, nor am I saying alcoholism is simply a 'phase'. I have an older loved one who has been sober for over a decade, but he confided it is a daily struggle to resist the bottle. Sirius has a drinking problem, and probably some other issues that he should see a professional for! But this isn't a Sirius fic, its a Dramione fic. I just wanted to clear up any misunderstandings or potentially angry readers that Sirius' little snippet may have invoked.**_


	21. Library Liaisons

Ch. 21 : Library Liaisons

_December 5, 2001_

Hermione clung tightly to the large, warm hand wrapped around her own while her free one dusted off the remnants of Floo travel. "We could not wait any longer to start researching, Hermione. Harry will let us know when he shows up." Draco soothed the agitated witch. It was just after nine in the morning and Sirius had not been seen since he stormed out of the Potter's temporary quarters in Hogwarts.

She wore muggle jeans, and a navy blue long sleeved jumper. Draco suggested earlier over cappuccinos that they bring their coats, for he hoped to show Hermione around the grounds when they took a break from the library. Hermione secretly wondered what on earth he was talking about.

"May I take your coat, Master Malfoy." A squeaky voice interrupted Draco's third reassurance in as many minutes. The house elf was noticeably younger than most Hermione had seen, and she had to stop from cooing at the little tuxedo pants it wore. The elf bowed low with their coats and popped away.

"That's Archie, he's the nephew of one of our elves, and only ever dresses like a muggle butler." Draco snorted in amusement, " I think he's got a crush on Mother, too. He's always making heart shaped pastries for her"

Hermione's eyes widened and she laughed as Draco pulled her through to the high ornate ceilings of the foyer. The Manor seemed brighter than it had in her limited experience with the place. Draco kept up a quiet murmur of tidbits about the history of the Manor itself.

"Mum redid a lot once Lucius disappeared after the war. If she had not, I think she'd have gone mad. You wouldn't believe how dark magic clung to the home after Voldemort's time here. It was almost like a dark, physical layer of anger, hate, and hollowness hung around us. And it did, Mother found some books in the library about clearing the atmosphere, and when she performed the charms, the Manor was noticeably brighter. We could breathe easily in our own home again. Harry suggested we do the same for Grimmauld, that was the nicest Sirius ever was to me." Draco joked.

"That's absolutely brilliant. Harry and Sirius spent years trying to rid Grimmauld place of its oppressive gloominess. It used to make my heart feel heavy to be there, even during the holidays around all our family. When alone, it sometimes felt like the hollowness would close in on you. Poor Sirius, all of those years." Hermione had to shake off the instinct to immediately start a new research project.

When they rounded the corner to the library, Hermione's breath caught. Narcissa Malfoy looked two decades younger, and there was a genuine brightness to her eyes that had been absent in the past. Hermione admired her beauitful, deep purple robes.

"Draco, it is so good to see you, you do not visit enough." She chided, her violet eyes twinkled.

"I apologize, Mother." Draco smiled, "But I do seem to remember when I last visited, you were entertaining company in the form of our Minister of Magic."

Hermione slyly pinched herself, she had to be in a dream because Narcissa Malfoy was blushing . Although, of course she looked feminine and innocent when Hermione knew she often looked like a constipated tomato , herself when she blushed.

"Draco! Minister Shacklebolt was here for a breakfast meeting." The matriarch tried to look stern but failed when a giddy smile spread across her face. Hermione thought she heard Draco mutter, "in his briefs," but his mother spoke over him.

"And you are being incredibly rude, Draco. You have not formally introduced our guest. Good Morning, Ms. Granger. It is lovely to meet you under slightly better circumstances. I am sorry my son is too interested in embarrassing his mother than remembering his manners." Narcissa took Hermione's hand warmly and put an arm around her shoulder to lead her to the library.

" I would like to personally volunteer my help. I know this library better than anyone alive on this earth and have already pulled some texts I think you will be interested in reading." Hermione nodded and smiled,

"Thank you Mrs. Malfoy." The flustered witch stumbled over the name, unsure of what the divorced woman called herself.

"It's Black now, and please call me Cissa." she smiled warmly and opened the wide double doors.

"Call me Hermione, Cissa. And I must say, I've always thought Kingsley was quite the catch." she winked at the blonde witch who snickered and looked over her shoulder at her son, before back to Hermione.

"He is quite _eager_ to prove that to me, Hermione. It has been delightful." Narcissa's cheeks pinked again, but her smile was wicked. Hermione threw her head back and laughed, completely won over by the charming and newly independent witch, "You know how those younger men are. Draco is almost a year younger than you, is he not? " Narcissa quipped and Hermione blushed still giggling.

"Our age gap is much less than yours and your boy toy, Mother." Draco drawled dryly. He rolled his eyes good naturedly, however he quickly changed the subject from his mother's new found love life.

"So Mother, I am assuming Kingsley filled you on on the situation then?" Draco asked and Hermione felt a quick jolt of worry. She hadn't questioned how Narcissa knew what books to begin pulling, and while she was currently enchanted with the charming lady, information that is privy to the Order should not have been passed around so easily.

She caught Draco's eyes and tried to hide the suspicion in them before she could insult mother and son, but he only smiled comfortingly. "Mother was inducted to the Order the same time I was. Neither of us wanted to look back or be under the cane of Lucius any longer."

"I-I'm sorry, I did not mean to come off as ungrateful or rude.." Hermione stuttered, and talked over the tsking Narcissa and sweet Draco. " I hate that I am still so cautious and untrusting. I just don't know how to be anything else, but, I never know when the next attack on my friends or myself could be." she swallowed the lump in her throat as her cheeks heated with embarrassment. Her hands went to rub her long healed wrists.

She felt Draco's arm wrap around her and place a warm kiss on her forehead. "I know, dove. You will learn eventually that you are safe, and that bastard will not get close to you while you are with any of us." He whispered hoarsely in her ear. Hermione nodded and tossed her long hair her over her shoulder, loving not having a glamour any more.

"Thank you, Draco." She cleared her throat and rolled her shoulders back, " I am sorry for that, Cissa. I must look like a nutter. Let's get to work." Hermione finally got the chance to look around her and couldn't decide between speechlessness or asking every question in her head all at once. She did an odd little hop and whirled around to look at the two smirking blondes.

"I don't think we should have brought coats, Draco. I am never leaving this library."

Narcissa let out a tinkling laugh that was joined with a very bratty and loud groan.

* * *

Harry checked the time and sighed when he saw it was almost 11 in the morning. He'd left a note a Grimmauld Place for Sirius to owl him when he returned from what Harry assumed, based on the state of the liquor cabinet, was a night of binge drinking. If he did not hear from his godfather by noon, he was going to use his lunch hour to track down and yell at the Grim look-alike.

There was a tentative knock on the door to his office, and Harry answered gruffly, "Come in."

Neville Longbottom and Theodore Nott stood in his doorway and Nott offered, "We followed up on some of the leads we took form Edgecombe's confession."

"Oh, excellent. Come in and sit down." Harry pointed his wand at the door to lock and put up silencing charms around their conversation.

Neville started, "As you have just returned today, we brought you a transcript of our interview with Edgecombe. It is apparent she is still miffed at Hermione's little hex in fifth year,"

"A hex that wore off a year later," Nott interjected, amused.

Neville began again, casting his partner an annoyed glance, " She jumped at the chance to take 'Mione down. Under Veritaserum, Edgecombe admitted that when she met up with Weasley, she was aware that he was wanted for the murder of Ernie MacMillian and the other charges listed in the Prophet. When questioned how Ron got in contact with her, she said he used his lackey, a Russian wizard by the name of Chekonovic, to pass on a letter offering her a sack of galleons and revenge. She was not aware at the time that she would be meeting with Ronald Weasley. Edgecombe described Chekonovic as tall and thin with patchy, dirty blonde hair. We've had Creevy and Turpin out looking for Chekonovic to bring him in."

Harry interrupted, "Don't bring him in, find him, and have him watched day and night. He may lead us to Ron if he is still using him to be his eyes and ears in London."

Neville nodded, making a notation in his folder; Harry motioned for them to continue

"Edgecombe went to the address given to her, Nott and I went to check it out this morning, it was a hotel room at the Boggart's Inn in Knockturn Alley. The innkeeper was not helpful, saying he does not remember seeing Ron there."

Harry clenched his jaw, "Have the Boggart's Inn watched periodically, as well. Could be that he's being threatened or bribed to keep his mouth shut. Unfortunately we can't stuff Veritaserum down everyone's throat."

Neville continued, " Edgecombe said she was alone with Weasley, who locked her in the hotel room once she realized who he was. However, once he cut her a deal, Edgecombe admits she went along willingly to get her revenge. Edgecombe also admits to having sexual relations with Weasley, and met with him on two more occasions in the same room to have sex. Edgecombe claims she did not know if she believed his story, or his claims of innocence, but that the money, his promises, revenge, and a threat or two, motivated her to comply and write the article. She did know about the ambush at the Ministry Press Conference, but was under the impression that Ron was only there to humiliate Hermione. She was unaware of his association with Dolohov and Malfoy."

Nott summed it up, "In conclusion, Edgecombe is a dumb, greedy, and bitter swot who turned a blind eye for money, sex, and revenge."

Harry appreciated Nott's dry humor, but was too agitated to laugh.

Neville cleared his throat and spoke again, " We booked her for accessory to attempted murder and for hiding a fugitive. Her trial is set. She could get time in Azkaban or house arrest. It'll be up to the Wizegamot. The witch was an absolute wreck. She was blubbering and crying all over the place." Neville's eyes were hard, his loyalty to his friends made his usual friendly and sympathetic demeanor disappear when it came to this girl.

"So our best lead is this Chekonovic wizard? And the Boggart's Inn." Harry asked, sighing. It was a good start, but not as much as he was hoping for.

The two Auror's nodded. Neville looked like he'd just remembered something, "Also, the cottage."

Neville swallowed, trying to keep the bile down, they had all seen the filthy basement stained with blood and excrement. He shuddered at the memory, the lone disgusting blanket, the only source of warmth for their friend. The chains in the other corner of the small room. The claw marks from Hermione's nails on the cement floor were the worst part for Neville to witness. An obvious, physical brand of her desperation and terror, fighting continuously as Weasley did the unspeakable to her over and over again. He'd seen the wretched bastard drag her to the cot he would transfigure; every time she tried to scramble away — the sick smile Ron got on his face as he would examine the scratches on the floor and her bloody nails. Neville sometimes wished he could obliviate himself of the memories from the Pensieve.

They still didn't know how she'd escaped. And she hadn't been able to tell them yet, either way, Neville was damned proud of Hermione Granger.

Nott took over for his friend, he thanked Merlin every day he did not have to watch the memories, the visual was enough at the cottage. "We are done searching it for clues and clearing it of dark artifacts. We found a couple of letters of correspondence from other wizards Ron was dealing in shady business with. It is another decent lead."

Harry sat up straighter now, this was more to work with, "Bring any one that you can track down in. Maybe someone owed Ron a favor that he cashed in on. We'll use their possession of dark artifacts as leverage for them to come clean."

"I like the way you think, Potter. Very Slytherin." Nott grinned.

"Also, Hermione needs to decide what to do to the cottage. I know she won't want to keep it, but the way the laws work, she has to say what is to be done with it. I personally think we should let Fiendfyre take the place down."

Nott shuddered. Harry felt a drop in his stomach, this was another emotional decision him and his sister could get through together.

Harry glanced at the time once more, " Thanks men. You both have done great work. Keep me updated on the progress. After I get caught up on paperwork I missed while out, I can join in the fun." he smiled wryly.

Once Theo and Neville left the office, what Harry recognized as Sirius' tawny owl flew in. Harry let out a sigh of relief but couldn't let go of his frustration. The bird dropped the note in Harry's lap and glided out again.

**Harry, **

**Got your letter, I am safe at home. I buggered up yesterday.**

**I'm sorry.**

**Sirius**

Harry crumpled up the letter and muttered, "Well that's one thing I do not have to worry about. Except maybe a visit to St. Mungo's after Hermione gets ahold of him." Harry smiled his first genuine smile of the day.

* * *

"Let's take a break, little dove. You need some lunch." Draco scooted the chair back from the table where they had stacks of books. His mother glared at him from her perch where she was vigorously taking notes. Hermione kept on writing, as if she hadn't heard him. She probably hadn't.

Hermione felt a strong hand rub up and down her thigh, the warm touch distracted her from the sentence she was copying down in _Daringly Dark Remedies for Dark Curses_. Another distracting hand was climbing up the back of her neck, rubbing it sensuously and scratching her scalp. Hermione dropped her quill and relaxed into the touch.

"That got your attention, did it, 'Mi?" Draco chuckled in her ear. The hand on her thigh climbed higher under the cover of the table.

"Draco Malfoy need I remind you that your mother is 20 meters away." the witch whispered reluctantly. The hand climbing higher paused but thankfully the neck massage did not.

"Mmm. Yes that does throw a bucket of cold water on things, I guess we will continue this later then, darling. How about some lunch? It is already mid afternoon and you've drank nothing but tea." Draco rubbed her back soothingly.

Hermione sighed. "I suppose we should. Cissa?" The two witches had become rather close in their mutual pursuit of a cure and love for books. Hermione still could not believe it when she thought about it too closely.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Would you like to join Draco and I for lunch?" Hermione rolled her eyes at Draco's huff. The spoiled wizard, he really never learned how to share. "Draco, your mum is surely as hungry as we are…we are not going to leave her in here withering away trying to help me!" she whispered to him under her breath.

"No dears, I think I am on to something and I don't want to break my concentration. Have Timmy send a ham and swiss baguette up, please. "Draco smiled triumphantly and had to pull Hermione out of the library to keep her from joining Naricssa and asking her about the lead.

"Come on, love. I want to eat in my room. " His voice was husky in her ear and Hermione blushed scarlet. Draco chuckled, "Not that, darling. Well at least not yet, not if you're not ready. But trust me, I will feast on you over and over again."

Hermione let out a shaky breath, arousal making her feet stumble under her. " Yes, well" she cleared her throat, " Maybe not _that_ yet, but uhm I am ready for some of the other stuff."

She felt Draco's body stop and it pulled her backwards just a bit where they were connected at their hands. He pulled her back to his chest and moved his hands gently up her waist and rib cage, mindful of her scar. She felt his breath on her neck and his scent overpowered all rational thought. Soft lips kneaded at juncture of her neck and shoulder.

Draco's head shot up, "Timmy!" An older eld donning a chef's hat popped up, "Can you send a lunch up to my mother, her usual, and then have lunch set up in the lounge. I'll have what Mother is having and Hermione?"

"I'll have the same." She said breathily, as Draco hands traced the underwire of her bra.

"I will set it up for you right away, sir. It will be ready in half an hour." The well-spoken elf bowed and popped away.

"That should do." Draco smiled into her neck and apparated them to his room. As soon as they were sure-footed, Hermione jumped into Draco's arms, wrapping her long legs tightly around his waist. Her hands went to his hair and her lips to his mouth, taking him in a lustful and passionate kiss.

Draco groaned into her mouth as she ground against him, she felt his hands move to hold her ass and help her grind into place. Her tongue dove into his warm and delicious mouth, the mouth already whispering encouragement, "yes, mmm you taste so good, love."

The lean wizard walked them to his bed and sat them down, having her straddle his lap. She broke the kiss and took a deep breath. Looking into his eyes told her all she needed to know,the grey depths only reinforced the strength she was continuously building back in herself, physically and emotionally. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione covered his lips again with her own. Slowly she started to peel her long sleeved shirt up her torso. She struggled to keep her eyes open, taking this new challenge head on, she felt oddly reassured that Draco's eyes didn't leave her own, until she nodded down, unspoken permission.

His eyes took her in hungrily, in a way that made her feel wanted. When they reached her wretched scar, he flipped them over, so that her back was on the bed, and softly kissed the ugly, jarring words on her stomach. "You're magnificent." He breathed reaching for her denims after another nod of reassurance.

"I used to be better." She tried to sound flippant, but the insecurity in her voice leaked through

Draco leaned forward to kiss her lips again and look her straight in the eye, " I wish you didn't have the scars, only because I wish your imprisonment never happened, but you are beautiful and these scars are proof that you survived and you fought and you did everything you could and now you are here with me."

He quickly pulled the jeans down her legs, and then Hermione felt him place open mouth kisses up her thighs. He kissed the damp spot on her panties, "Soon" He breathed when Hermione moaned quietly, and then he pounced, his arms caged above her head, and his legs straddled her own. The somber mood quickly disappeared as Draco kissed her jaw hungrily, moving onto her neck. As he kissed hungrily up and down her neck and collar bone, Hermione worked in removing his clothes, down to his boxers.

Draco made a noise of protest being separated from his favorite snack to get his shirt over his head.

"You really are a brat sometimes' Hermione's laugh turned into moan as Draco's hand slid beneath her bra and pinched her nipple. Hermione leaned up and Draco hurriedly rid her of her light pink, lacy bra, all the while her mouth and hands explored his own chest leaving light kisses and nips to his pecs. When she circled his nipple with her tongue, Draco cursed, "Fuck, you little minx. I'm going to make you cum on my fingers. Would you like that?"

Hermione moaned at his dirty words and attacked his own neck even more fervidly. Draco gently pushed her back down to the bed, "ah, ah, ah. It's mine turn to play."

"At least take your pants off for me, Draco." His name had never sounded so good as when she purred it. Quicker than a horny teen, Draco had his pants off and ground his brief glad erection into her warm center.

"Is that better, love?" He asked as he hovered over her, one hand playing with her breasts. He faltered a moment when her little hand reached in the pocket of his briefs and pulled out his cock, rubbing the pre cum from the tip.

"Mhmm, much better, now." She smiled and Draco almost came in her hand. Her hand started to rub him up and down, so Draco dove into her chest, sucking her nipple into his mouth and flicking it with his tongue. "Merlin, you taste so sweet. Am I getting you wet?" He growled around her nipple and Hermione squeezed him tighter as she whimpered. He licked a circle around her hard nipple and slipped one hand into her panties, stroking a finger through her wet folds.

"Oh, Godric, Yes Draco." She breathed as he rubbed her, slowly circling her clit. He took her neglected breast in his mouth and nipped her, the reaction was immediate and she arched into his mouth and hand. Draco couldn't hold in his grin. He slipped one and then two fingers into her wet heat, getting impossibly harder when she started to buck into his hands, they had a hard and hot rhythm going. Her hand stroking him quickly, and her hips moving her onto his hand.

Hardly able to focus, He took her lips back in his and shoved his tongue into her sweet mouth. Fucking her mouth with his tongue like he was with his hands, she fought back just as hard, her tongue tangling with his in a sensuous dance. They had always been competitive with each other.

"Come on, darling. Fuck my hand, just like that. I can feel your close, come on my hand. Now, 'Mi." He growled into her neck. Their sweaty bodies moved together. He felt her walls begin to shudder and saw her eyes glaze over when she started to milk his fingers with her climax. Her reflexive squeeze on his dick set his own orgasm off onto her hands and lower stomach.

Draco tried not to collapse on top of her, so he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Hermione's face was glistening with sweat, she lay boneless with her eye closed and mouth turned up into a content smile.

"Mmm, that was…intense, wonderful, hot" she sighed the last word and looked up at him. He waved his wand over them, to clean away their fluids, especially his own. He didn't know how she felt about that kind of thing, and thought it would be best to play it safe.

"It has been longer than twenty minutes." Hermione sighed into his still bare chest after a few minutes of silence, "we should get back to eat and then help. I can not have my boyfriend's mother thinking I'm some nympho." Hermione giggled as she separated from him and started to redress.

Draco groaned, wishing he had vanished her clothes, "Can't believe I just gave Hermione Granger an orgasm in my old room. You don't know how many times I pictured that after the Yule Ball." He smirked and gripped her hips, kissing up her neck to whisper in her ear, "I want you to sleep with me tonight, love."

Hermione shuddered and her heart rate increased,

"Just sleep," He clarified, " when we make love, it will be something special. But tonight, I want to take you on a date after the Order meeting and then fall asleep next to you in bed."

She turned and looked up at him, the happy twinkle in his grey eyes made her smile giddily. "I would love to, Draco. However, we don't have to _just _sleep. In fact, I know another earth-shattering orgasm from you will have me sleeping like a baby, later."

His cock awoke again at her words and he shook his head, smiling at her, "earth shattering, huh?"

* * *

Hermione couldn't wait to tell Ginny all about her day at Malfoy Manor, well she may leave out some of the more _explicit_ parts, but she was eager to share with the redhead about the snarky, flirty, and giddy Narcissa she'd met today. The one who was _sleeping with Kingsley!_ Ginny had confided in Hermione, a few years previously, that she'd had a few sexual fantasies about the tall, dark, and handsome Minister herself.

When they re-entered the library, Hermione realized Narcissa was not at her desk, but that multiple books lay open haphazardly. Draco must have noticed too, because he squeezed her hand and called, "Mother?" Both witch and wizard sighed in relief when they heard her voice answer from the potions wing of the library. The tall, blonde wizard pulled her in that direction, pausing to press a sensual kiss to her neck. "Draco, your mother." Hermione chided but couldn't stop the shiver going through her body. They rounded another row of tall stacks to come upon a dead end where they saw Narcissa excitedly pulling books off the shelves while she chattered. Hermione thought it strange that the matriarch talked to herself, but then again, she too was guilty of doing the same sometimes when she needed to follow an idea.

It wasn't until they got closer that Hermione realized the older witch was chatting with a portrait of her old Potions professor. Hermione could not control the words tumbling out of her mouth, "Professor Snape?"

"Ah, Miss Granger." The once surly professor drawled, "I heard of your return in my portrait at Hogwarts. I tend to spend most of my time there seeing as Narcissa kept me in this corner by all of my old Potions texts."

"Now, Severus. You know very well you asked to be put in this solitary space, seeing as you have plenty of other portraits in much more crowded areas." Narcissa snickered, "Even one in the Potter house."

"Yes, that boy felt the need to honor my demise after he found out the truth, but most of the time when I pass by, we continue to trade insults." Snape looked quietly amused at this, but only showed it with a twitch of his upper lip.

Narcissa looked at Hermione, "Dear, I think we've found a solution."

Draco looked bewildered, "In the potions section? We are looking for a spell."

Snape and Narcissa rolled their eyes in sync and Hermione wished she had a camera, "Well, I thought so too, but I saw something in one of my other darker texts about the existence of a potion, one so potent that it wipes the user of all curses, hexes, charms, and dark and light magic. It is very volatile, and still requires some blood magic, so I am here speaking with Severus and pulling more information. It is very, very old and was often used to weaken a witch or wizard who had multiple enchantments around them or their things. You see, if I was to drink this old Potion, our wards would be destroyed until I could set them back up. Plenty of time for thieves or murderers to ensure my demise."

They all shuddered and Narcissa continued, "It's called the Thieves' Cloak" and hasn't been brewed since the mid 18th century, that we know of. Severus believes it could be save you."

Hermione nodded silently and Draco pulled her back into his chest, rubbing her arms until she spoke, "So it would also get rid of the curse on my scars, and the curse keeping my memories from being seen by legelimens? Let them heal and maybe dissapear?"

The older duo nodded

"And typically, a potion is more controlled than a spell, we can even run the Arithmancy and see our outcomes and the possibility of survival and success." Hermione's infamous brain was working double time.

"We should get reading, those books your pulling are ones I've never seen!" the glee was unmistakable in her voice and she heard Draco snort behind her.

"That is because they are from my personal collection, Miss Granger, and they are very old and very dark." Professor Snape's voice held traces of pride in it.

"Let's get researching and then we will have something to tell the Order. Sirius won't be happy about this either, though." Hermione paused and realized how it was already mid afternoon, and she hadn't heard from her father. She froze, her worries resurfacing.

"Can we floo-call Harry, Draco? I need to know if Sirius contacted him." Hermione looked into Draco's eyes pleading.

"Of course, love. Let's do that now."

"I'm sorry Cissa, I just need to check…" she trailed off and Narcissa nodded, "Check on my wayward cousin, I'm sure he knows he is in for a swift kick in the arse."

The portrait of Snape sighed, "I do so wish my portrait was portable, I would love to see that." The two old friends snickered as the young couple darted to the floo.

"Do you really think we can save Miss. Granger, Severus?" she asked suddenly worried, " I quite like the girl already, I can tell she's fierce and just perfect for my Draco."

Severus' portrait sighed, "The potion is the best option she has. I did extensive research into finding a way to get rid of the Dark Mark, my binding to the Dark Lord. I found this potion too late and when consulted Dumbledore after Voldemort's return, I was needed as a spy. But Dumbledore had believed the Potion would work, and had said he would help me get rid of the Mark after Riddle's demise. Alas, that never came to pass. The Potion takes a toll on the body, though. When I tried to urge the Headmaster to let me brew it for his cursed hand, he believed he was too old and already too weakened to take the Potion. Said I was needed for more things than to be brewing a Dark potion for him."

Narcissa nodded, wishing her old best friend was there physically for her to grab his hand. "We can save Miss Granger, and I cannot wait to roast a Weasel." she added fiercely.

* * *

**A/N: Long chapter! yay! Go easy on me, I only had a chance for one read through, but I am leaving for the weekend and wanted to post this now rather than Monday! More exciting stuff coming up. We have a potion and Sirius is o-k! Hope you liked the chapter and thanks to everyone for sticking with me. The reviews are staggeringly kind, so thank you all. **

**Coming up: Hermione lays into Sirius, Another glimpse of the bastard, Order meeting, potions, and more lemons :)**

**Thanks again so much and please leave a review! They make me so happy! Reviewers get a kiss from the minister (chaste of course because Narcissa!) **

**Also, for all the guests thank you for reviewing! and DramioneLove4eva, thank you for your sweet and AMAZING review. I almost cried when I read it. I wish I could have responded to you, but thanks again for encouraging me! I plan on this being about 30-33 chapters.**

**Love you guys,**

**wbm92**


	22. Leaky Cauldron Crimes

**I do not own HP &amp; Characters etc that is all JK Rowling's. Also I added Trigger Warnings the summary for this fic, but probably will not put one in each chapter.**

Chapter 22: Leaky Cauldron Crimes

_December 5, 2001_

The sheer normalcy of their spontaneous decision delighted her more than she could put into words. Waiting at a table in plain sight, in The Leaky Cauldron while her boyfriend ordered drinks was so bloody average that she knew she wouldn't have been happier had he swept her off to Paris to dine in the most posh restaurant in Europe. For just a short while she was not the "returned Golden Girl", she wasn't scared, or anxious, or overwhelmed, she was just a girl waiting for her date to bring her a butterbeer.

The cozy atmosphere and crackling fire in the hearth nearby warmed her through and through. Her eyes never left the back of the platinum blonde head, and when it turned around to reveal startling grey eyes and a slight smirk, she knew her answering grin was embarrassingly eager.

"A butterbeer for my witch and a Firewhiskey for me." Draco murmured when her slid in next to her at the booth. She eagerly sipped the warm drink and closed her eyes to relish the heat spread through her chest. The establishment was almost to capacity as witches and wizards joined to drink away the stresses of work; Hermione and Draco sat in companionable silence and watched the people around them. Tucked into his side she breathed in his tantalizing scent and tried to keep her mind from wandering to their time in his childhood room. To clear her head she looked up at him, surprised to find him already watching her amusedly.

"I am so glad you suggested coming here, Draco. It feels better than you can imagine to do something normal." She smiled up at him, appreciating the handsome lines of his jaw and the quirk on his lips.

The handsome blonde leaned down, pressing his cinnamon coated lips to hers chastely before continuing the conversation. "I thought we could both use some time out of a safehouse or library, even if it is just for an hour. You are technically allowed, we just have to keep any eye out, although I hope _Weasley_ shows himself, give me an excuse.." Draco cut himself off, and Hermione was slightly glad, she just wanted to relax for a bit.

"I know," she sighed, "but I am glad we are here, I need a little time to cool off; your friendship with Harry is beneficial, as I can see he warned you about my temper." Hermione scowled playfully,

" Harry would always try to distract me when he knew my temper was at a boiling point, most of the time with a homework question or something to do with Elvish Welfare." she giggled, " He would get me talking and before I could realize what he was doing, my temper was cooled. Of course, it didn't work _all _the time. Sometimes my hexes were too fast." She grinned and Draco broke into a smile that was rare for the public eye.

"Although it seems your kisses and some butterbeer are just as effective," she glanced up from under her eyelashes, hoping she looked flirty and not ridiculous. "Sirius should probably thank you, or he would most likely be trying to figure out how to grow all of his precious hair back." she snickered.

"As much as I would love to see Sirius Black bald, I think we found a better use for that pent up anger." his voice was like velvet as he left a lingering kiss behind her ear.

Hermione's breath shuttered and she squirmed in her seat.

"I mean, I was relieved when we flooed Harry and he told us Sirius was safe, but Merlin, that man has a worse temper than I do. He had everyone so worried, and I thought he was less of a broody git these days, but noo, when I see him I'm gonna —" her renewed rant at her adoptive father was cut off by another swift kiss, only this time a warm tongue slid across her bottom lip, successfully eliciting a small gasp as her attentions moved to gripping the collar of his shirt and deepening the kiss.

"Well, I had heard the rumors, but didn't believe it until now!" An amused voice broke their embrace, and the sounds of the _very_ crowded bar returned. It took her a moment to realize Draco had reached for his wand and pulled her in to his side tightly upon the intrusion, but had already relaxed. Standing next to their booth was a pale wizard with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes smirking at them. She quickly noticed the familiar wizard standing reluctantly behind the first, and leapt out of her seat to pull him into a hug.

"Neville!" she hadn't actually seen him since her return and couldn't contain her excitement. She quickly deduced that the other smirking wizard must be Theodore Nott, as his name was often mentioned with Neville's. She took in their casual attire and deduced they were currently off duty or undercover.

"Hey, Hermione. Wow is it good to see you, well better when you're not attached to a ferret by the lips." the friendly wizard teased. Hermione blushed at the reminder of their public display, and noticed a few tables avert their eyes back to their own business.

"Oh hush, Neville." was all she could respond in her embarrassment, and the Auror laughed and hugged her again turning her back towards the table.

"Have you met Theo? He's the pain in the arse I have to work with everyday." Neville chuckled.

The other wizard paused in what appeared to be an unapologetic apology to Draco, and smiled, " I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting formally. I'm Theodore Nott. Another snake who somehow finds himself surrounded by lions."

Hermione was comforted by his easy candor and teasing nature, not unlike the Weasley Twins. She introduced herself and invited the pair to join sit with them. Theo accepted immediately, ignoring his glaring childhood friend.

When Neville went to grab another round of drinks, Draco and Theo got lost in a heated chat about Quidditch. Hermione observed the two Slytherins and noticed Theo relax infinitesimally when talking to Draco, the easy smile a bit more genuine with his old mate than it had been to her. A reasonable action, sure.

Glancing around the bar to occupy her wandering thoughts, she noticed Neville returning with their drinks and caught the pained expression on his face as he looked at her. Quickly, _but not quick enough - Neville always did wear his emotions for all to see - _he replaced it with another smile when he caught her watching him.

Then it all aligned in her mid, and she was shocked that it hadn't sooner, Neville and Nott were of course the Aurors on her case…they had seen — the thought froze her insides and she suddenly gripped Draco's hand casually resting on her thigh. These wizards, Neville, and probably Nott too, had seen her like _that._ She could barely handle the fact that Harry had — her logical mind tried to rationalize that it was their job, but the mortification was quickly clouding her brain.

Draco had yet to see her the way she had been in _his_ memories — raped, tortured, broken, weak. Neville must've been at their table now, for she heard him mutter, "shite." Hermione couldn't help it when she flinched away from her old friend who tried to grab her her hand.

The solid chest she hid her face against rumbled, "What did you do, Longbottom, she's shaking like a leaf."

"Im fine Draco — just give me a —" she was interrupted by Neville

"I - I uh." the awkward teenager he'd once been came to the surface when he was thrown off balance, " Shite, I think she — well I was coming back to the table, and with everything, I just couldn't believe she's been through all we've seen." He was rambling and Draco snapped at him, " Spit it out Longbotom."

" I must've been making face, I don't know and then I realized she was watching me, and this look came over her features and she looked horrified… I think she hadn't really thought about how we are working on her case until then. I'm sorry I din't mean to make a face, but shite you haven't seen —"

Draco cut him off and Theo cursed under his breath. " I think we outta go, she's healing, but how would you feel, you know? " Draco struggled to keep his voice even as he thought about what they had seen, things Draco tried unsuccessfully to stop from imagining just from her reactions to the nightmares.

Draco glared at Nott then, who put his hands up, " I didn' look. I've just been to where she was imprisoned, I don't envy Longbottom. " the usually teasing voice was quieter and solemn.

"Stop speaking about me like I can't hear you." Hermione snapped looking up from Draco's chest, irritation suddenly outweighing mortification.

"It's just — what you must think — " the crack in her voice was cut off by another's entrance.

"Oi, Hermione!"

Four heads whirled toward the sound, Draco smirked wondering if Black wanted a public confrontation with his psuedo daughter so that she would have to control her temper.

"_What _are you doing here, Padfoot?" Hermione couldn't decide if she wanted to hug or hit Sirius, so she stayed put. He stared strangely at her when she addressed him, but shook it off and smiled, " Sorry, Hermione. I just wanted to see you."

The way he examined her was somehow off, and Hermione wondered if he was still drunk. He didn't even acknowledge anyone else at the table except for Draco, whom he cast an unreadable look at. His eyes flitted over her and she momentarily questioned his usually platonic and paternal intent before shaking the odd suspicion off. In her peripheral vision she saw Theodore Nott excuse himself, most likely to use the loo.

"Look, Sirius. I know you are frustrated with me, and I am pissed at you for scaring me so badly, but why don't we discuss this another time. You look exhausted." She stood and patted his arm gently, not being able to stay mad when her father still appeared shaky and anxious.

"Err. Right. Will you walk me out, girl? I just want a word before we talk — later." She started a bit at the different nickname that was a little brusque for Sirius. Hermione knew the apparition point was just outside of the Leaky as it was the place connecting Diagon Alley and London, and she did want to make sure Sirius knew she wasn't _that _mad. She couldn't have him wallowing and brooding the rest of the evening.

Casting a glance at Draco, she nodded and began following him through the crowd. She knew the blonde was keeping an eye on her throughout — she was safe with Sirius — but she guessed Draco would meet her at the door just to walk her back to the table. _Protective snake_, she used to hate when Harry and _He _would hover during the war to ensure her safety, for she was a capable, independent witch, but now she enjoyed knowing someone was looking out for her.

When they crossed the threshold of the warm bar into the chilly, snowy evening, she noticed two things. Sirius was pushing ahead of her, glancing back to make sure she was following when usually he walked next to her, playing guard dog to unwanted stares, and two — his wand was hanging out of his black robes pocket. The strange thing about this was that Sirius rarely, if never at all, wore wizarding robes, an old rebellious teenage trait he never grew out of. The wand looked odd too.

Almost to the apparition point, she got a better glance at the wand and realized with dawning horror that it was _not_ Sirius' wand. Not even the right wood or color. While she was sure there could be a rational explanation for pocketing a different wand, her instinct told her it was all wrong. Her quick intelligence connected some of the strange behavior this Sirius had exhibited in a span of ten minutes. She looked behind her at the door of the Leaky Cauldron hoping Draco had in fact followed her, but could not see his blonde hair.

Before the imposter Sirius could notice her lack of footsteps she quickly grasped for her wand, only to realize she had left it in her purse. Not wanting to turn her back on whoever was pretending to be Sirius, she began walking backwards down the short icy path separating her from the Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione's foot slipped.

Before she could stop it, a frantic yelp tore from her throat as she crashed to her knees. The Sirius imposter turned and snarled when he realized she was scrambling back to the Leaky Cauldron.

He pulled his wand, casting a stunner her way, _he was supposed to bring her back alive,_ but she rolled and missed it. Hermione hoped to call some attention to herself, they had only walked a short way out of the Leaky but the direction of the appartition point was away from stores.

"Help! Someone!" She screamed when she saw another stunner miss her, the wizard must not be very talented she thought off handedly. Suddenly, as she reached the doors holding in the noise of the Leaky Cauldron, bright blue eyes caught hers. She turned once more and saw the Sirius imposter turn to run to the apparition point.

"Stop him!" she yelled pointing to the retreating figure.

"But.." Nott sputtered

"Not Sirius." She insisted, still trying to catch her breath. Nott started at a sprint and Hermione stumbled into the bar, not caring about the scene she was creating.

"Neville, Draco." the men caught her frantic stare and abandoned their table, leaving twice as many galleons in compensation as needed.

"Neville you have to go help Nott, I don't know who it was, but it wasn't Sirius."

Draco's face paled and he reached for Hermione's chilled hands.

"I should have been there!" Draco muttered to her in the chaos, " I saw Nott coming out of the loo and told him to check on you and wait for you to come back. Neville was going over some…things with me."

Hermione shook her head, "You couldn't have known. I didn't put his odd behavior together until I saw the wrong wand." They stepped outside, where they saw Nott and Neville dragging a bound, sputtering, and spitting Sirius.

"We're going to have to take him in and wait for the Polyjuice to wear off." Neville stated in his Auror voice, "I bet we can still catch Harry at the office."

"We found another flask of Polyjuice on him and a tube of Sirius' hair. We are hoping that this is all they somehow got from Black." Nott continued, "Why don't you two go home, we'll floo you the details when we know more."

Hermione nodded, taking note of her own feelings. Sure, she was shaken, but a couple of weeks ago an event like this would have had her comatose in bed all night, now she was instead determined and elated at her escape.

Instead, she was ready for the Order meeting coming the next night. Ronald Weasley would not take her out, and she wouldn't let him get to her friends. She looked up at Nott and smiled, "Thanks for acting so quickly, Theo. I'm glad he didn't get away. Whoever he is, had really bad aim." she giggled and wasn't sure if it from was genuine humor or adrenalin.

"Anytime, Granger. Being a Slytherin and an Auror, I had to learn to act first in some situations, when my first instinct is always to strategize." The handsome wizard winked at her and elbowed the squirming imposter in the stomach, "Ooops." he smirked when Neville rolled his eyes, Snakes will be Snakes.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The two apparated directly into Draco's flat only to find another Sirius waiting for them, sprawled out on the sofa. Draco dropped Hermione's hand and drew his wand with the other while stalking over to Sirius and pulling the dozing wizard up by his collar.

" What the — Malfoy if you know what good for you —"

"Shut up, Black. What did you say to me the first time we ran into each other at Harry's?"

"Are you kidding, Malfoy? You better get that wand out of —"

"Answer him, Sirius." Hermione's voice was hard and stern, causing the older wizard to look over at her with wide eyes.

"I uh— I said, ' if you are anything like Cissy was before she married your father, then we will get along eventually.'" Sirius huffed and Draco dropped his hold on the animagus.

Hermione slumped onto the chaise and dropped her head into her hands, taking a deep breath while Draco moved into the kitchen to make tea.

"Does anyone mind telling me what is going on?" Sirius griped, refusing to admit the former ferret had scared him just a little.

Hermione looked up from her hands and then threw herself across to the sofa to squeeze the real Sirius, tightly.

"Definitely not the greeting I thought I would be getting from you, kitten." He whispered into her hair, "Thought for sure I would be getting hexed with those little yellow birdies you do so well."

Hermione chuckled and breathed in the calming scent. " I was furious with you for scaring us, Pads, so Draco took me to cool of with a drink — and then. Well, I am just glad its _you_ and that _you_ would never hurt me." She rambled, not yet wanting to go over the past half hour.

The older wizard looked puzzled but soaked in the embrace of his daughter. " I am sorry I lashed out, 'Mione. I just cannot stand the thought of losing you _again,_ and well I — uh — you deserve freedom. I just don't want you to be in pain any more."

Sirius whispered the last part, showing a few moments of true maturity and logic. She of course knew all along that his outburst stemmed from fear, but it felt good to have his support. She was too tired to tell him about the Thieves' Potion, just yet, but knew he would hear about it at the meeting tomorrow.

Draco came back in carrying tea for himself and Hermione and then glared at the animagus, partially blaming the Black patriarch for their current predicament.

"You're going to have to go down to the Auror office, I assume." Malfoy spat, a little annoyed that Hermione had forgiven Sirius so quickly. Hermione moved out of Sirius' embrace to send a pleading look to her perturbed partner.

"Draco, don't blame Sirius, they could have done it to anyone." She knew he would be furious, but all of his anger should be directed at Weasley, not their allies.

"Oh, well I am sure Sirius gave them an easy access while he was getting drunk off his arse last night brooding instead of dealing with his issues like a mature adult." The blonde's temper was almost tangible.

"Stop it, Draco."

"Tell me, was it some broad that tricked you into bed, last night?  
"Draco!"

"Or were you just so out of your damned mind that you didn't feel when Ronald fucking Weasley turned up and took a chunk out of your head?"

"Stop it, Draco!"

"No, he almost got you right back where you started today, 'Mi. How can you be calm about this?"

"No, Sirius, did not, _Sirius_ did not plan to kidnap me, he made a mistake — an easy one, drunk or not, they could have taken anyone's hair if they tried hard enough. All they have to do is Accio a hair follicle from your sweater." She pulled a short white hair off his shoulder and held it between thumb and forefinger.

"They could have pretended to be you and swept me off just the same." She murmured, letting the truth of her words sink in with both of them.

"We weren't being careful enough, either." Hermione said sternly while Draco crossed his arms, an angry fire still crackling in his eyes.

"Are you saying what I think your saying?" Sirius' cracked voice cut in.

The arguing couple looked over at the animagus whose anguish was etched plainly across his face.

Hermione sighed, took a sip of tea, and started explaining the events of the afternoon as calmly as she could.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**AN: *Bows head and hope you can all willfully forget how long it took me to update* I've actually had this chapter done for a couple weeks but thought I would add to it, but I am going to stop here and hopefully get Pt. 2 of this section up soon (For real this time). This scene definitely got away from me even though I was trying to keep the plot movie with some more events, but I decided I liked it how it is. **

**Please leave me a review, they are like soothing balms to my soul. Reviewers get a to go to happy hour with the sexiest auror team (Neville &amp; Theo) ;)**

**You are all amazing and if I didn't respond to your review, I am sorry. But I am pretty sure I got to most of them. Thanks again for sticking with me. I love you all! Have no fear, I will finish this story! **

**Also thank you to Usagi Carter for my awesome story cover! And to GlaudioseGoddess who reminded me to put trigger warnings up which are now in my summary!**

**xoxox - wbm92**


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